Another NHL star is looking for a trade and a fresh start.
Nikita Kucherov, the league’s reigning MVP and still one of its best players, has reportedly told the Tampa Bay Lightning organization and his teammates that he does not intend to re-sign with the team and has requested a trade.
The report initially comes from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
In a year of bombshell trade requests, including Dylan Larkin, Brady Tkachuk and Connor Hellebuyck, this is easily the biggest and most seismic of them all.
Nikita Kucherov reportedly tells Lightning he will not re-sign and would like to be traded
Kucherov and his agent, Dan Milstein, reportedly had a meeting with general manager Julian BriseBois on Friday evening, informing him of the trade request.
According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, Kucherov informed his teammates on the team plane.
Nikita Kucherov and his agent Dan Milstein just wrapped up a meeting within the last half hour with Tampa GM Julien BriseBois advising that the Hart Trophy winner is asking for a trade. Kucherov told his teammates on the plane. @FriedgeHNIC first on the news.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) October 30, 2026
Kucherov is in the final year of his contract with the Lightning, and even though no deal had been signed, it at least seemed like a logical conclusion. The Lightning do have a history of parting with franchise legends (Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos all left the organization by trade or free agency), but Kucherov seemed like he might be the exception to that.
He is not just a talented scorer; he is one of the best players in the NHL and one of the giants in Lightning history. He has not only helped the Lightning reach four Stanley Cup Finals, but he has also helped them win back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021. He is also a two-time NHL MVP and three-time scoring champion.
Even though the Lightning have not won a playoff series in four years, they remain a playoff team and borderline Stanley Cup contender.
The most logical read on this: The Lightning don’t want to meet Kucherov’s asking price given his age (33) and the amount of money it might cost them against the cap. Tampa Bay is not afraid to make cutthroat decisions, and moving on from Kucherov after this season might be their preferred path if the money is too much for their liking.
It would not be a stretch to imagine that leading to a fracture in the relationship that leads everybody to the spot they are now in.
There really isn’t anything else that makes sense for why the reigning league MVP and a franchise icon would ask out now.
Kucherov has a limited no-trade clause as part of his contract that will allow him to give a list of 10 approved teams he will go to.
