- May 21, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
Nikita Kucherov has asked the Tampa Bay Lightning for a trade and informed the club he will not re-sign, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Friday.
The 33-year-old reigning Hart Trophy winner has four goals and 15 points in 12 games this season. He is in the final year of an eight-year, $76-million contract and must submit a 10-team no-trade list.
Kucherov passed Steven Stamkos as Tampa Bay's all-time leading scorer last week. Lightning GM Julien BriseBois and agent Dan Milstein both declined comment.
Friedman noted that Kucherov's departure "seemed like an absolute certainty" to most observers. The winger has spent his entire career with Tampa Bay since being drafted 58th overall in 2011, winning two Stanley Cups and three Art Ross Trophies while reaching the 100-point mark six times.
The Lightning are 8-3-1 with 17 points through 12 games, holding an Atlantic Division playoff spot despite not winning a postseason series since their 2022 Stanley Cup Final loss to Colorado.
Mickey's Angle: Tampa's championship window just got complicated. Kucherov's 10-team list will shape the bidding, and contenders should circle the trade deadline here.
Source: Daily Faceoff - written by Mickey the Mouth from the original report.