How the hell does the Nikita Kucherov situation end in Tampa Bay?! Boomer, Pinder and Rhett Warrener dive into one of the most shocking stories of the NHL season after Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Friday that Kucherov has informed the Tampa Bay Lightning he won't be re-signing and wants to be traded. Nobody saw this coming from the reigning Hart Trophy winner, who put up 44 goals and 130 points last season, recently passed Steven Stamkos as Tampa Bay's all-time leading scorer and has helped the Lightning win two Stanley Cups. The 33-year-old superstar is playing out the final season of his eight-year, $76 million contract with a $9.5 million cap hit and could become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2027. But here's where things get interesting: Lightning GM Julien BriseBois has publicly stated that Tampa Bay has no intention of trading Kucherov, despite the player's reported desire to leave. Friedman has also reported that Kucherov has a list of 10 acceptable trade destinations, with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens among the teams he'd consider. The boys break down how contract negotiations reached this point, whether Tampa Bay can realistically hold onto Kucherov for the entire season, what kind of return a player of his calibre could command and whether the Lightning would actually risk losing him for nothing in free agency. Could the organization change its position before the NHL trade deadline, or are we heading toward a summer departure? One of the best players in hockey wants out, his team says he's staying, and nobody seems to know how this ends.
Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör
The Nation Network. Innehållet i podden är skapat av The Nation Network och inte av,
eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.
