A franchise cornerstone asks out
Nikita Kucherov has informed the Tampa Bay Lightning organization and his own teammates that he does not intend to sign another contract with the club and would prefer to be traded, according to multiple reports that surfaced on Friday. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman was first to report that the winger had delivered that message to both the team and the dressing room, and TSN's Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston also reported the trade request.[S1][S2]
No explanation for the decision has emerged publicly. Kucherov, the NHL's reigning MVP, has spent his whole professional career in Tampa Bay, which selected him 58th overall in the 2011 draft. Last week he moved past Steven Stamkos to become the highest-scoring player in franchise history, a milestone that made his departure from the only NHL club he has known appear almost unthinkable.[S1][S2]
His agent, Dan Milstein, declined to comment on the reports.[S1]
Contract status and leverage
Kucherov is playing the final season of the eight-year, $76-million contract he signed with the Lightning in 2018, a deal that carries an average annual value of $9.5 million against the salary cap. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, which means Tampa Bay would risk losing him for nothing if no resolution is reached before then.[S1][S2]
The agreement also includes a modified no-trade clause requiring Kucherov to submit a list of ten clubs he would accept a move to, a provision reported by TSN and recorded by the contract trackers CapFriendly and CapSpace. That list gives the 33-year-old winger considerable influence over any destination the Lightning might pursue.[S2]
The club's public position
General manager Julien BriseBois issued a statement on Friday night acknowledging the media reports about Kucherov's future and asserting that the organization has no intention whatsoever of trading him. The statement sets up a direct standoff between a player who has asked to leave and a front office that has publicly ruled out a move.[S1]
How the situation develops before the trade deadline and the opening of free agency on July 1 remains unclear. What the reporting establishes is that Kucherov is unhappy in Tampa Bay and, for now, would rather continue his career elsewhere.[S1]
