Breaking news surfaced across the National Hockey League on Friday night (10/30) when Tampa Bay Lightning star forward Nikita Kucherov made TB aware that he will not re-sign with the team and is requesting a trade.
There is no indication of where Kucherov wants a trade, but there’s some reason to believe that the Carolina Hurricanes will be part of the mix to land one of the NHL’s best scorers, so let’s take a quick look at what a potential trade package could look like to land Kucherov in Carolina.
What Could the Hurricanes Offer Tampa Bay for Nikita Kucherov?
Sportsnet.ca’s Elliotte Friedman wrote (on 10/30):
“Well, here’s a Friday-afternoon whopper:”
“According to multiple sources, Nikita Kucherov has informed both his teammates and the Lightning organization that he will not be re-signing with Tampa Bay and would like to be traded. The exact reasons are unclear at this point, but Kucherov — the NHL’s reigning MVP — is in the final season of an eight-year, $76-million contract. Last week, he passed Steven Stamkos as the leading scorer in franchise history.”
There is SO much to digest here, but speaking on the angle of the Hurricanes’ potential interest in Kucherov… why wouldn’t the defending champs inquire about the star forward? He’s definitely looking to win this year, Carolina can afford the cap hit, and the Canes certainly have the assets to make a deal work.
So, here’s a quick outline of a trade package that might be strong enough to entice the Lightning to send Kucherov to Carolina:
- Hurricanes receive: F Nikita Kucherov
- Lightning receive: F William Carrier, F Eric Robinson, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, prospect Bradly Nadeau, prospect Joel Nystrom
That’s five players for Nikita Kucherov. Carrier and Eric Robinson are both top-9 forwards for the Canes, Kotkaniemi has long been rumored on the trade block, and Nadeau & Nystrom are the No. 1 and No. 4 Hurricanes prospects.
Also, for what it’s worth, the Hurricanes have many Russian players (Pyotr Kochetkov, Andrei Svechnikov, and Alexander Nikishin), which could play a role in where Kucherov wants to be dealt.
More Details on Nikita Kucherov Trade Request
This is massive news across the NHL and has shocked the social media world.
As noted, there aren’t necessarily any immediate reports of where Kucherov wants to be traded, or when/if he actually will be dealt, but the reigning MVP in any professional sport requesting a trade from their team the following season is a huge development.
The likely biggest reason that Kucherov has requested a trade from Tampa Bay has to be because they did not offer him an extension this past offseason.
Under GM Julien BriseBois, the Lightning have typically inked their star players to contract extensions before free agency, but perhaps Nikita Kucherov’s contract demands are too high, or the Hart Trophy winner isn’t confident in the team’s future.
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