Nikita Kucherov explains why he asked to be traded

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Nikita Kucherov explains why he asked to be traded
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

Nikita Kucherov wants to leave Tampa Bay.

We had a hunch that something was off—and that it wasn't just because he didn't want to live in Tampa Bay anymore or because the Lightning aren't as good as they used to be.

Tampa Bay isn't Columbus, after all…

We suspected it had something to do with contract negotiations. And Kucherov himself, speaking to the Florida media, confirmed that this was indeed the case.

Poor communication and a lack of respect are at the heart of his trade request.

The player said he'd had only two conversations with his GM in the past four months. For him, that's not enough, and it was never about the money itself.

There must still be some connection, by default, but we understand his point.

After all, the amounts involved are so high that, in absolute terms, it's not the end of the world if he earns a little less. But seeing that a certain player earns X and being offered less than X—that's what bothers him, apparently.

The best players want to feel respected. That will always be the case.

Listening to Kucherov, it's clear he won't back down from his demand. If he isn't traded by July 1, he'll simply go elsewhere as a free agent, without speaking to Julien BriseBois.

There's a sense of tension with his GM, who told him he could leave on July 1.


In a nutshell

– Hehe.

– Stay tuned.

– Good question.

– Oh.

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