A bombshell on the flight to Nashville
Nikita Kucherov wants out of Tampa Bay. Multiple outlets reported on Friday night that the Lightning star has asked to be traded, and that he told his teammates himself on the team flight to Nashville, ahead of the game against the Predators.
Neither the Lightning’s general manager nor Kucherov’s agent has commented. The reports have not been confirmed by the club, so for now this stays a request, not a done deal.
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A contract standoff behind it
Kucherov is 33 and in the final year of his contract. The two sides are reportedly far apart on a new deal, which would explain why a player who has been the face of the franchise for years now wants a different address.
Any move would not be simple. He holds a modified no-trade clause, which lets him submit a list of 10 teams he would accept a deal with. That gives him real control over where he lands, and it narrows the field for Tampa Bay in any negotiation.
The weight of the name explains the noise. Kucherov owns three Art Ross Trophies as the league’s leading scorer and sits at the top of the franchise scoring charts. Losing him would reshape the Lightning’s season and the trade market around the league.
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