Nikita Kucherov in Montreal: Adding Even More Fuel to the Fire

Everyone is eager to weigh in on the situation involving Nikita Kucherov, who has obviously sparked a flurry of rumors throughout the National Hockey League with his trade request.

Whether it's renowned analysts and insiders or just fans, everyone wants to weigh in.

And of course, even though Kucherov is one of the best players in the world—and even in history—he remains a controversial figure, especially in Montreal following his various comments during the playoff series between the two teams, whether in the 2021 finals or the 2026 first round.

This has led some Montreal Canadiens fans to have mixed feelings about the possibility of acquiring Kucherov, given that he isn't exactly a fan favorite in Montreal.

But the fact remains that the Habs welcomed Chris Kreider with open arms, so I'm sure it would be even better for Kucherov.

In short, Montreal obviously wants Kucherov, but is this really a viable match?

Well, according to insider Eric Engels, it's definitely a possibility.

 

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A post shared by Eric Engels (@snericengels)

As you can hear in this video, Engels really seems to believe it, adding fuel to the fire by explaining that Kucherov would likely want to play in Montreal under Martin St. Louis and alongside Ivan Demidov, a fellow Russian, as a teammate.

The Montreal atmosphere, the Bell Centre, the city, and the fans make the Canadiens a very attractive destination for Kucherov, who has asked to leave one of the best—if not the best—markets in the NHL.

So, even though Julien BriseBois doesn't want to trade his #86—and surely wouldn't want to trade him within his division, let alone to Montreal—a match is possible, because the Habs have everything it takes to attract Kucherov.

Kent Hughes has brilliantly built his team with his top forwards locked into excellent long-term contracts, and the same goes for his top-four defensemen, in addition to having two young, talented goaltenders.

The Habs will have plenty of room under the salary cap in the coming years, so we could very well see Kucherov land in Montreal.

Seriously, watching this video by Eric Engels, you can really tell that the insider believes it's going to happen.

Let's see if this can actually happen.

Extension

It's also worth noting that despite his trade request, Nikita Kucherov will play tonight for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and he'll continue to do so while he waits for his situation to be resolved.

That's what his agent, Dan Milstein, confirmed, explaining that Kucherov would be playing and that he, for his part, would handle the business side of things.

Agent Dan Milstein confirmed that his client Nikita Kucherov is playing today and will continue to do so while awaiting a resolution to his situation: “Of
course,” said Milstein. “He loves playing hockey. He will play while I take care of the business side moving forward.”

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) October 31, 2026