You really don’t need to spend a whole lot of time justifying the pursuit of a potential trade for Nikita Kucherov.
The Tampa Bay Lightning winger is one of the best scorers in the NHL. There’s not really a reason needed beyond that.
The Chicago Blackhawks, though, have reasons to want Kucherov. Jobs are on the line. Seasons are in jeopardy.
Of the teams that might consider a trade for Kucherov, the Blackhawks might be the most desperate.
Desperation doesn’t always get a deal done, but it does create urgency. Chicago, if it decides to pursue Kucherov, could come in with a heck of a lot of energy toward the possibility.
Blackhawks Reason for Nikita Kucherov
The Blackhawks are one of six teams named by ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski in a new article on Thursday in which he discusses potential landing spots for Kucherov if he leaves Tampa Bay.
Chicago’s blurb in the article really sums up that things aren’t going very well for the Blackhawks.
This is what Wyshynski wrote:
Desperate times call for $20 million average annual value contract offers to two-time league MVPs. GM Kyle Davidson isn’t long for that chair if things don’t start to turn it around in Chicago, where the Blackhawks were 31st in the league after 15 games. They do have a star player for Kucherov in Connor Bedard, who would probably submit to some dark magic ritual to conjure this free agent signing.
Or, perhaps, a trade: What collection of young players would the Blackhawks move for Kucherov that the Lightning would identify as their next Brandon Hagel? Chicago is so terrible that Kuch might never extend there anyway, but Davidson needs to back up the truck and find out.
So first, Wyshynski raises the idea that the Blackhawks could wait out this process and then end up with Kucherov in free agency.
But then he realizes that a trade for Kucherov might actually fit the reality that Chicago needs to improve, and quickly.
If the Lightning aren’t particularly open for a trade, that portion of the discussion might not matter. But the Blackhawks aren’t in a position to wait passively around and find out.
Timeline Trouble
The one problem here is that Kucherov and the Blackhawks don’t really fit on their competitive timeline.
Kucherov isn’t getting any younger and would surely like to join a win-now team. The Blackhawks, meanwhile, are still trying to build up from a currently rough place.
The superstar Kucherov would definitely help the cause, but if that’s not what he’s seeking at this point in his career, it may not be the best fit.
Blackhawks Given Reason For Nikita Kucherov Trade