Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic joined Glenn Schiiler on SportsCentre and was asked if the situation with Nikita Kucherov and the Tampa Bay Lightning could play out as it did in Winnipeg with Connor Hellebuyck, and now what we are seeing in Detroit with Dylan Larkin, where he says You want to trade me or I’m sitting.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Media Wondering Where Nikita Kucherov Could/Won’t End Up
Glenn Schiiler: “Yeah, and with how this story is unfolding, do you think this could be resolved quickly, or does this now become another drawn-out dispute, like we saw with Hellebuyck and even with Larkin? Maybe a suspension situation.”
Pierre LeBrun: “Yeah. Well, I don’t think it’s going to be resolved quickly. For starters, you got Julien BriseBois saying he has no intention of trading him to begin with. But even had he not said that, Julien BriseBois’s track record is of a very methodical, process-oriented GM who takes his time and looks at all angles before making big decisions.
I think it’s important to note that as of Friday night, my understanding from Kucherov’s camp was that Nikita Kucherov plans to play Saturday in Nashville with the Lightning and that he plans to play with his team until this is resolved.
Tampa Bay Lightning Forward Nikita Kucherov Asks for a Trade
Now, I will say this: with BriseBois saying he has no intention of trading him, is there any chance over time that Kucherov goes to Dylan Larkin route and says enough is enough? You know what I’ve asked for a trade. How come I’m still here? I can’t answer that, but that’s certainly something to file away.
I’ll also say this: I had another GM from a team say, ‘Well, maybe this is a negotiating ploy from Kucherov, you know, to get the contract that he wants out of Tampa.’ Maybe, but I will tell you again: for a superstar player like Nikita Kucherov to get up on the airplane, the team flight on Friday during the flight to Nashville, and inform his teammates of this news doesn’t sound like a ploy to me.
That sounds like a very serious decision by one of the great, great players in this league. The second straight Friday we’ve had massive NHL trade news. Kucherov, in his 13th season with the Lightning, has 1,139 points, the third most since he entered the league in 2013.
NHLRumors.com Note: Nikita Kucherov and his agent, Dan Milstein, released another statement reiterating their comments from Friday night that he intends to play with the Lightning until this is resolved. However, as we have seen in Detroit, it is a difficult situation to have a guy in the room who doesn’t want to be there.
Is Nikita Kucherov Looking For Something Around $20 Million?
Go ask the Columbus Blue Jackets about that situation. Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli has some strong comments about a player now with the Toronto Maple Leafs. This is a business after all, and as Jeff Marek put it so pointedly many years ago, it isn’t the players’ job to manage the salary cap.
Connor Hellebuyck held out from the start to get a trade from the Winnipeg Jets as his suspension was up and he was about to return. Dylan Larkin played the good soldier role until he had enough. Kucherov is still a major contributor in the Lightning lineup, but at some point, they’ll need a resolution.
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