Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois insisted his team will not trade Nikita Kucherov despite reports that the superstar winger asked to be moved.
"We are aware of the media reports regarding the future of Nikita Kucherov with the Lightning. We unequivocally have no intention of trading Nikita," BriseBois said in a statement Friday night.
Sources told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman that Kucherov informed the team that he won't re-sign this summer and wants to be traded. The reigning NHL MVP made the request Friday during a meeting with BriseBois and his agent Dan Milstein, then told his Lightning teammates on their flight to Nashville, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.
The 33-year-old will continue to play for the Lightning while awaiting a potential trade, LeBrun reports.
"Nikita has spoken to all the parties involved and there's nothing else to add at this time," Milstein told LeBrun in response to BriseBois' statement.
Kucherov is earning $9.5 million in the final year of his contract. In his now-stalled extension talks with the Lightning, he was asking for a six-year extension with an average annual value of around $20 million, sources told The Athletic's Chris Johnston.
His current deal includes a modified no-trade clause featuring 10 teams that he'd approve a move to, per LeBrun. The teams on his list aren't yet known.
Kucherov has spent his entire 13-year NHL career in Tampa, where he led the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2019-20 and 2020-21. Last week, he passed Steven Stamkos to become the franchise's all-time points leader. He also owns the most assists in Lightning history and ranks second in goals behind Stamkos.
Kucherov's stellar career includes two Hart Trophies, five first-team All-Star selections, three Art Ross Trophies, and six 100-point seasons. His 144 points in 2023-24 are the single-season record for a Russian-born player.
Kucherov has tallied four goals, 15 points, and a team-best 11 assists over his first 12 games this season.
The Lightning have made the playoffs in nine straight seasons and 12 of the last 13, winning two Stanley Cups and reaching the finals four times in that span. However, they haven't advanced past the first round since 2021-22, when they lost the Stanley Cup Final to the Colorado Avalanche.
Tampa Bay entered Friday sitting third in the Atlantic Division with an 8-3-1 record.
