The Maple Leafs have been told to at least kick the tires on Nikita Kucherov if the Tampa Bay winger reaches the open market.
That’s the view from NHL analyst James Mirtle, who said Toronto should be in the conversation if Kucherov includes the Leafs among his preferred landing spots. The idea surfaced after Kucherov requested a trade from the Lightning when contract talks reportedly fell apart.
Kucherov’s side pointed to “poor communication” and a lack of respect, and his agent said the relationship was beyond repair.
Speaking with JD Bunkis, Mirtle didn’t dismiss the fit. He said the Leafs would have to consider it, even if the money would make everything complicated.
“ I think you can think about it and look at it. I mean, If he legitimately has them at the top of his list, then why wouldn’t you at least think about it?”
Mirtle said. “Sure, it’s going to be difficult.
I mean, if he wants $20 million on an AAV, how are you going to fit that in?”
That price tag is the real roadblock. Kucherov’s reported ask of $20 million per year would force Toronto into some serious cap gymnastics, and Mirtle noted the Leafs would have to move multiple contracts while still keeping room to extend Auston Matthews.
He also drew a line between a trade and a free-agent chase. In his view, this is more of an offseason swing than something that happens in the middle of the year.
“People are talking about doing this in season,” Mirtle explained. “I do think if Kucherov is going to happen, it feels like it’s an offseason thing where he’s a free agent. He’s going to the open market.
“And, if he’s got a list of three or four teams and the Leafs are on there, I think you have to talk to him and you have to think about it. But it would be very challenging to make it happen.”
Kucherov is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2027, which would give Toronto a direct path to negotiate with him.
Mirtle also questioned whether a huge deal for a player who will be approaching 34 makes sense, even with a higher cap.
“The cap isn’t, like, tripling,” he warned.
That financial squeeze is already part of Toronto’s reality. The Leafs have significant money tied up on the books and are projected to have $2,772,618 in cap space for 2027-28.
There’s no question Kucherov would change the look of the offense. The harder question is whether Toronto would be willing to pay the price in depth to land him.
In Other News...
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The Lightnings forward depth chart took another small turn this week, with Dominic James and Cooper Flinton both reassigned to Syracuse. James has already spent time with Tampa Bay this season, getting into six games, while Flinton has split his recent work between the Crunch and the Orlando Solar Bears. Both players are familiar names in the organization, and both have already been through the Lightnings development pipeline after being drafted by the club in previous NHL drafts.
For Tampa Bay, the move is another reminder of how fluid the bottom of the roster can be as the team shuffles options between the NHL and AHL. James and Flinton each bring prior Crunch experience, which should make the transition smoother once they report back, but the bigger question is how the Lightning continue to manage that depth as the season moves along and injuries, performance and opportunity keep changing the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Are Sending A Clear Kucherov Message As Trade Talk Swirls
Trade chatter around Nikita Kucherov has been floating just enough to get attention, but the message coming out of Tampa Bay has been pretty straightforward. General manager Julien BriseBois has made it clear he does not intend to move the star winger, a stance that matters whenever a player of Kucherovs caliber gets dragged into speculation, especially with the trade deadline still in view.
For the Lightning, the bigger point is stability. Kucherov has not signaled any preference for a destination, and the reporting around him has been based more on outside buzz than on any real indication that Tampa Bay is preparing to do business. Unless something changes, the expectation is that he stays in the picture through the deadline, which is exactly the kind of answer the Lightning would prefer while the rumor mill keeps spinning. [Read more 🡒]
Kucherov To Toronto Sounds Massive But One Hurdle Changes Everything
Nikita Kucherovs future is the kind of topic that instantly stirs up a market like Toronto, and it is easy to see why. His modified no-trade clause may give him some say in where he would go, with the Maple Leafs believed to be among the teams he could consider, though that full list has not been confirmed. For a club always looking for another elite piece, the idea alone is enough to get people talking.
The harder part is making the hockey and the math line up. Toronto already has major salary-cap constraints, and the tagging rule makes it difficult to commit much more for next season while still operating in the current one. Kucherovs contract expires after this season, so even a deal in theory would come with the added challenge of finding the room to keep him beyond a rental, which is where the path from intriguing to realistic starts to get very narrow. [Read more 🡒]