Kucherov's $76 Million Deal Ends as He Asks Tampa to Trade Him

Nikita Kucherov has told the Tampa Bay Lightning he will not sign a new contract with the team and has requested a trade, according to a person familiar with the discussions who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the talks are private. Sportsnet first reported the request. The Lightning did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Kucherov is in the final season of an eight-year, $76 million contract he signed in 2018, the same year he won his first Hart Trophy. He earned the Hart again for 2025-26. He becomes an unrestricted free agent when the deal expires.

The 33-year-old winger has 1,139 points in 891 regular-season games since his 2013 debut, a total exceeded only by Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon over that span. His 177 playoff points lead all players during the same window. He passed Steven Stamkos for the franchise scoring record last weekend. Through 12 games this season he has four goals and 11 assists, second on the Lightning behind Brandon Hagel.

General manager Julien BriseBois opened training camp last month by calling Kucherov "a historically great player" and adding, "He's not just one of the best players in the world right now, maybe the best player in the world right now. He is one of the best players ever." BriseBois told reporters in mid-September that he and agent Dan Milstein were keeping communication open toward a new contract. "Both parties, I know, would have preferred to have a deal today to be able to put that behind us," BriseBois said at the time. "We haven't been able to do that."

Kucherov's exit would remove a centerpiece from a roster built around him and Victor Hedman, with Steven Stamkos, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Brayden Point rotating through the core. Tampa Bay has reached the playoffs 12 times in 13 seasons and the Stanley Cup final four times. The Lightning have lost in the first round in each of the past four years.

His request follows trades by Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa to Florida and Connor Hellebuyck from Winnipeg to New Jersey, while Dylan Larkin remains unresolved in Detroit. Those players had more term remaining on their deals than Kucherov does. The NHL has operated under a salary cap since 2005.