Nikita Kucherov: People are wondering if he’ll leave Tampa Bay in the coming months

Mathis Therrien
Nikita Kucherov: People are wondering if he’ll leave Tampa Bay in the coming months
Credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The Tampa Bay Lightning remain an excellent team in the National Hockey League, as Julien Brisebois has managed to keep the team competitive following their back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021.

However, aside from a loss in the 2022 finals, the Lightning have now been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs four times in a row over the past four years.

The team still boasts excellent players, but success has eluded them.

The team's best players are getting older, and let's just say the Lightning doesn't have many more years left before they start slipping down the standings.

Julien Brisebois may be making some very good moves, but he won't be able to keep doing so and save his team forever.

In fact, a very big issue is currently on the table for the Lightning's general manager and his staff, as Nikita Kucherov is eligible for a contract extension.

And that's where the question arises: Will Kucherov leave Tampa Bay in the coming months, before he becomes a free agent?

The Lightning's star forward is 33 years old and is clearly due for a substantial pay raise, as he's currently earning $9.5 million for one more year.

With all the massive contracts signed recently that have completely disrupted the market, Kucherov is clearly entitled to demand a very large contract, even if he isn't as young as Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard.

The Russian forward just had a remarkable 130-point season and won his second career Hart Trophy, awarded to the league's most valuable player.

Kucherov shows no signs of slowing down as he remains at the top of the NHL, so it's clear he'll want to be paid what he's worth.

However, at 33, negotiations are likely to be complicated, as Kucherov will want the maximum, while the Lightning will want to be cautious and avoid the risk of signing Kucherov to a contract that's too long or with an annual salary that's too high.

This is therefore a very delicate situation to watch leading up to July 1, as the Lightning could end up parting ways with such a key player if his demands are too high—as was the case with Steven Stamkos a few years ago.

The Lightning has a line they won't cross during negotiations, and it remains to be seen whether Kucherov will stay on the right side of that line.


Behind the Scenes

– A name to watch.

– Indeed.

– Ouch.

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