The Tampa Bay Lightning‘s Nikita Kucherov has made his mark as one of the top players in the NHL since he entered the league in 2013. Kucherov’s spent his entire career with Tampa and has thrived, winning two Stanley Cup championships along the way in 2020 and 2021. The Lightning’s franchise player is entering the last season of his current $9.5 million contract with the club. He is set to cash in big time on his next deal as the salary cap continues to rise.
Kucherov Due for Major Pay Day
In terms of what Kucherov’s next deal looks like, this will likely be a number that comes in very close to the cap limit. Insider Chris Johnston stated on his show that he is expecting the Kucherov contract to flirt with the ceiling: “I heard some pretty big numbers that he was looking for, something like 20 million dollar range on like a six year deal.”
If the contract were to land in the $20 million range, that would be more than double the valuation of Kucherov’s current deal. This is not a surprise to hear; he has consistently performed among the best players in the NHL across the duration of his tenure. He amassed 44 goals and 86 assists for 130 points in 76 regular season games last season. However, the playoffs were a disappointment as he recorded just one goal and five assists in seven games. Nevertheless, he took home his second Hart trophy as the most valuable player in the NHL.
The next question is when this new Kucherov deal comes in. He is eligible to sign the extension now, although the team missed out on the max eight year window as the new CBA kicked in September 16th. Considering Kucherov will be 34 years old when his next contract begins, this is likely not a development that concerns Tampa’s management. It may be in Kucherov and the team’s best interest to let this season play out and hammer out an extension next summer.
Kucherov Calls the Modern Game “Dumb”
Kucherov is a player that normally provides entertaining one-liners with his blunt honesty. This year has been no different so far; he spoke with Lightning reporters this week with training camp getting underway. He had some interesting comments on the state of the modern NHL game compared to when he joined the league: “The game now is a lot faster, but dumb. Low (hockey) IQ.” He went on to say that there are a lot of players that have talent, but lack elite hockey sense on the ice.
These are strong words from the Russian veteran. If there is a player that is qualified to make such a statement, Kucherov would be one of those guys. He has been around the game for 14 years; it is a much different league now. Unlike most players today who rely on driving play with high pace, Kucherov enjoys slowing the game down and relying on his vision to set up opportunities.
Kucherov will be counted on to keep this Tampa team towards the top of a loaded Atlantic division this season. It will be fascinating to see what his contract ends up looking like. Based on what he has accomplished to this point, the cost will probably be worth it.
Insider Provides the Latest on Nikita Kucherov’s Contract Negotiations with Lightning