The Tampa Bay Lightning have not extended the contract of their prolific goal scorer, Nikita Kucherov. It’s not been a main topic during the NHL news cycle this summer.
He’s entering his 13th NHL season and the final year of his 8-year contract signed back in 2018. As the Lightning get their training camp started, Kucherov addressed the situation before taking the ice this week.
“What’s in my mind? My mind is trying to help the team this year. I control what I can control, and I’ll do my best with what I can on the ice, and that’s what I’m focusing on right now and not much more I can say,” Kucherov told local media in Tampa Bay.
The Athletic’s Pierre Lebrun saw the report from Florida and added to it what he’s heard about the Russian’s future with the organization.
“Kucherov’s agent Dan Milstein once again politely declined comment this morning. A stance he has maintained for months. Won’t comment on Kucherov’s contract situation,” LeBrun posted to X in reaction to Kucherov’s comments.
Tampa has released top-end talent before
Just a few seasons ago, the Lightning and general manager Julien BriseBois decided not to re-sign former captain Steven Stamkos.
It was a hard decision for the organization, but one that BriseBois accepted needed to happen since a deal could not be reached.
“I know that it is disappointing that I was unable to come to terms with Steven Stamkos on a contract to keep him within the organization,” BriseBois said.
“I know the fans are disappointed, I know Steven is disappointed, and I’m disappointed. Like everyone, I wanted Stammer to stay in Tampa and finish his career with the Lightning, but, like for every player, there were also limits. We had limits that I felt like were the limits we could allocate in terms of cap space to him.”
Now the Lightning may find themselves in a similar position with Kucherov as they did with Stamkos. There’s still a lot of time for Milstein and the Lightning to hammer out a reasonable deal, but everyone has their price in a negotiation.
Kucherov’s impact in Tampa Bay
Since making his debut with the Lightning on April 16, 2014, Kucherov has scored the second-most points of any player in the NHL. He has 1,106 points in regular-season play and played a key part in the Lightning’s back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
Overall, Kucherov has also won the Hart Memorial Trophy twice, the Art Ross Trophy three times, the Ted Lindsay Trophy twice, and is a seven-time NHL All-Star.
His resume alone already shows he’s first-ballot Hall of Fame worthy, and the Lightning decided not to rush an extension as he enters the final year of his contract.
Kucherov is one of the elite playmakers in the NHL and is still doing it at 33 years old at the highest level.
He’s one of four players in team history to reach the 700-point milestone and did so in 621 games. Now he’s chasing Stamkos’ all-time point record with Tampa Bay.
To set a new franchise record, Kucherov needs 14 more points to surpass his old teammates and set a new benchmark for the Lightning.
Follow Nick Kieser on Twitter/X: @KieserNick
Nikita Kucherov Enters Final Year of Contract in Tampa Bay