The NHL trade market was flipped upside down with the news of Nikita Kucherov requesting a trade out of the Tampa Bay Lightning. No strangers to trade rumors, the New York Rangers could be among the potential suitors for Kucherov, but going after the reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner might not be easy.
For the time being, it’s all very fresh regarding Kucherov’s trade request and his potential next destination in the NHL. Thus, it’s unclear whether New York is a candidate Kucherov is giving serious thought to. At the end of the day, the veteran winger and his modified no-trade clause have the final say.
“I really do wonder about the Rangers. Whether the Rangers are on his list, I don’t know,” David Pagnotta said on the Daily Faceoff Insider podcast.
If the Rangers indeed aren’t on Kucherov’s trade list, though, that would be all she wrote for their trade aspirations. New York could come up with an offer the Lightning can get behind, but it would all be in vain unless Kucherov signs off and gives the Broadway Blueshirts the green light.
New York Rangers manager Mike Sullivan.
Kucherov’s contract situation
Kucherov is playing out the final season of his eight-year, $76 million contract in Tampa Bay and has made it clear he doesn’t wish to extend his stay in The Big Guava. The Lightning don’t want to trade their best player but may have no other choice.
Not only could Kucherov lose his patience and decide to hold out until he’s traded, but he would also become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) next summer, meaning the Lightning would either have to trade him or most likely lose him in free agency.
However, with Kucherov’s request going public, it’s not as if Tampa Bay has much leverage and could miss out on what would otherwise be a monstrous return for one of the best scorers in the sport.
Trade-and-sign scenario
Acquiring Kucherov is only half of the job, though—and the relatively easy part. Re-signing him is the toughest part, and an aspect that may put teams like the Rangers out of the running. Kucherov is after a top-of-the-market new deal and has reportedly passed on $13-15 million AAV offers from the Bolts.
New York currently only has $4.4 million available in cap space, so even fitting Kucherov’s $9.5 million cap hit for the remainder of the 2026-27 NHL campaign could be a bit tricky.
However, with the salary cap expected to rise ahead of next season, the Blueshirts might have the resources to re-sign a player like Nikita. Whether they actually have interest in going after and committing to the 33-year-old Russian winger is a different question, but it’s undeniable that New York could use some more firepower, and there is no one with Kucherov’s resume available for trade.
Key takeaways
- Nikita Kucherov requested a trade out of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
- Nikita Kucherov is on last season of eight-year, $76 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
- The New York Rangers have $4.4 million in available salary cap space.
