The Tampa Bay Lightning may be staring at a very specific kind of deal if the Nikita Kucherov situation pushes them into the market: a hockey trade, not a teardown.
That was the crux of the discussion on Daily Faceoff, where Tyler Yaremchuk and Matt Larkin both framed Tampa Bay as a team that is far more likely to try to stay in the fight than to step back and reset. Yaremchuk pointed to the realities that still make the Lightning appealing - “tax-free, and the weather’s good, and players like playing there” - while noting the roster still has Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevsky.
He also made the case that moving on from Kucherov would not automatically make Tampa Bay better in the long run. “Like, I don’t know.
I think this could maybe be a chance for Tampa Bay to not retool or rebuild on the fly, because you’re never going to be a better team after you move on from Kucherov. But like I said, there’s nothing stopping them from going out and and getting a Dylan Larkin -type piece.”
Larkin said the current market could create unusual opportunities because other teams are dealing with their own public contract tensions. He pointed to Detroit and Dallas as examples, naming Dylan Larkin and Jason Robertson as players who could be part of that kind of conversation.
“Yeah, and I think what’s unique about the current climate is that there are a couple other teams out there that are also in situations where they don’t have much leverage, right?
So it could be Detroit with Dylan Larkin, and it could be Dallas with Jason Robertson. I see some hockey trades that actually could fit because both sides are weakened by the public knowledge of the relationship with the player and the team.
So, if Tampa Bay is really trying to win now and stay competitive, I think you have to target those types of teams. If you’re willing to take a step back, then your list of suitors is going to grow. You go to a team like Utah, for example, which has so much in the pipeline that it could offer.
So it’s very intriguing to think about. There are multiple ways to solve the puzzle, but the problem is, I just think the Lightning, especially under Julian BriseBois, these are the guys that treat draft picks like nothing.
They want to win in the present at all times. So I just I cannot imagine, I can’t picture, Julian BriseBois making a trade that constitutes a step backward in the present.
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In Other News...
Lightning Fans Should Be Watching Where The Kucherov Rumors Go Next
The chatter around Nikita Kucherov has a familiar feel for Lightning fans, because any time a star of his caliber becomes part of the rumor mill, the questions tend to spread fast. Tampa Bay general manager Julien BriseBois has already made the teams position clear: Kucherov is not getting moved this season, even with Toronto floated in the background as a possible destination.
Where this gets interesting is the longer view. Kucherov is expected to be on the market as a free agent after the 2026-27 season, and the Maple Leafs are among the teams that could circle back then if they still want to chase him. For Toronto, though, that would require major salary-cap maneuvering and roster changes before anything realistic could happen, which is why Lightning fans should keep an eye on where the rumors go next rather than where they are right now. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Get An Early Atlantic Test They Can't Ignore
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Tampa Bay will have to handle that test without Zemgus Girgensons, who is out with an injury, but there is some help coming back on the blue line. Erik Cernak is set to rejoin the lineup after sitting out Saturday in Nashville, giving the Lightning a little more stability as they try to keep pace in a matchup that carries a bit more weight than a typical November game. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Affiliate Is Building Momentum Behind A Scoring Surge
A 7-0 win over the Hamilton Hammers gave the Syracuse Crunch a jolt in Week 5, and it came at a good time as the calendar flipped out of October. Jakob Pelletier led the way with a hat trick, while the Crunch backed it up with a clean sheet from Mads Sogaard and a performance that looked far more complete than the one-goal margin suggests.
Syracuse finished the month at 5-4-1-0, a mark that keeps the Lightning affiliate in the mix while it tries to build on its latest surge. The next stretch brings games against the Utica Comets and Hartford Wolf Pack, and the challenge now is turning one dominant night into something more sustainable. [Read more 🡒]