Kucherov tells Lightning to trade him after eight years

Nikita Kucherov has informed the Tampa Bay Lightning that he will not re-sign with the club and is requesting a trade, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The source spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Friday because the negotiations are private. Sportsnet broke the news first. The Lightning did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the development.

The 33-year-old Russian winger is currently under an eight-year, $76 million contract signed in 2018. That deal expires after this season, making him an unrestricted free agent. During his time in Tampa, Kucherov helped the team win two Stanley Cups and led the league in scoring three times. He won the Hart Trophy for MVP in the 2018-19 season and again in the 2025-26 season.

General manager Julien BriseBois praised Kucherov at a training camp news conference last month. BriseBois called him a historically great player and possibly the best in the world right now. BriseBois said in mid-September that the goal was to sign Kucherov to a new deal to keep him as part of a perennial contender. He stated that he and agent Dan Milstein would keep communication open. BriseBois noted that both sides preferred to have a deal finalized but had not been able to do so.

Kucherov has 1,139 points in 891 regular-season games since debuting in 2013. That total is third among all players over that span, behind only Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. His 177 playoff points are the most during that same period. Last weekend, Kucherov became the franchise's career points leader by passing former captain Steven Stamkos. Through 12 games this season, he has four goals and 11 assists for 15 points, ranking second on the team behind Brandon Hagel.

Kucherov's move makes him the latest high-profile star to ask for a trade in recent months. Brady Tkachuk moved from Ottawa to Florida, and Connor Hellebuyck went from Winnipeg to New Jersey. Dylan Larkin remains in limbo with Detroit. Unlike those players, Kucherov had no time left on his current contract, which adds urgency to the Lightning's roster planning. The uncertainty threatens to upend a successful run in the league since the salary cap era began in 2005.

The Lightning have made the playoffs 12 times in 13 seasons. They reached the final four times with Kucherov and Victor Hedman at the center of their core. Other key players like Stamkos, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Brayden Point have cycled in and out. The team has been knocked out in the first round each of the past four years.