Nikita Kucherov has told the Lightning he will not sign an extension and has asked to be traded. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported it first on Friday. The Associated Press, citing a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are private, said the reigning NHL MVP informed the club he is not re-signing. ESPN then confirmed the trade request, also citing sources. It described Kucherov as 33 and in the final year of an eight-year, $76 million contract, and as a player who led the club to two Stanley Cup titles.
Only one outlet has a detail about how the team found out. Yahoo Sports' Kari Anderson reported that Kucherov told his Tampa Bay teammates about the request while on the team plane on Friday. None of the other reports we have mention that, and none says whether the club has responded or whether Kucherov has named a preferred destination. Pro Hockey Rumors called it the most shocking of this year's trade demands. Nothing in the reporting gives a reason for the request, so we won't guess at one.
The request comes while the Lightning are playing well. They are 8-2, second in the Atlantic Division, and beat Winnipeg 6-4 on Thursday. They also won 6-2 at Vegas on Oct. 20, and their other recent game was a 5-4 loss at Utah on Oct. 24.
8-23rd in Atlantic DivisionStreak W1
Kucherov's own season has been solid, though quieter than last year's. The archive has him at 4 goals and 11 assists for 15 points and a plus-2 rating, with 6 penalty minutes. That count is over 12 games, which includes two September appearances in our game log. Last season he put up 44 goals and 86 assists for 130 points in 76 games, a plus-43. He was held without a goal in each of Tampa Bay's last two games. Against the Jets he had an assist in 16:13, his lowest ice time of the season by a few minutes, and took a minor penalty.
The Lightning next play at Nashville on Saturday, and the reporting does not say whether Kucherov will be in the lineup. Nothing we have says when Tampa Bay might move him. His contract is in its last year, so the club's next step is the open question.
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