Tampa Bay Lightning Star Nikita Kucherov Requests Trade After Declining Re-signing

Nikita Kucherov has told the Tampa Bay Lightning he will not re-sign with the team and has requested a trade, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The source, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Friday because the discussions are private, confirmed the player’s decision. The Lightning have not yet responded to a request for comment regarding the development.

Kucherov’s contract ends at the conclusion of the current season. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent after completing an eight-year, $76 million deal that began in 2018. During that tenure, he helped Tampa Bay win two Stanley Cups, led the league in scoring three times, and won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player in the 2018-19 and 2025-26 seasons.

General Manager Julien BriseBois praised Kucherov at the start of training camp last month, calling him a historically great player. BriseBois stated that Kucherov is perhaps the best player in the world right now and one of the best ever. The GM noted that both parties wanted to finalize a new agreement sooner but had not been able to reach a deal. BriseBois expressed confidence that Kucherov would remain elite well into his 30s.

At 33 years old, Kucherov leads all active players with 1,139 points in 891 regular-season games since his 2013 debut, trailing only Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. He also holds the record for most playoff points during that span with 177. Last weekend, he surpassed former captain Steven Stamkos to become the Lightning’s all-time points leader. Through 12 games this season, he has recorded four goals and 11 assists for 15 points, placing him second on the team behind Brandon Hagel.

BriseBois told reporters in mid-September that the goal was to sign Kucherov to a long-term extension to maintain the team as a perennial contender. He said he and Kucherov’s agent, Dan Milstein, would keep communication open. The failure to reach an agreement has left the team without its franchise cornerstone for the upcoming offseason.

Kucherov’s move follows a trend of high-profile trades in recent months, including Brady Tkachuk’s move from Ottawa to Florida, Connor Hellebuyck’s transfer from Winnipeg to New Jersey, and Dylan Larkin’s situation in Detroit. Unlike those players, Kucherov had less time remaining on his current contract. His departure threatens to reshape a franchise that has made the playoffs 12 times in the last 13 seasons and reached the conference finals four times with Kucherov and Victor Hedman as central figures.