Nikita Kucherov's agent Dan Milstein says the Lightning star will sign with a new club on July 1, according to Daily Faceoff.
Milstein made the comment to Jeff Marek on The Fourth Period, and he left no wiggle room on the timeline. Trade now or trade later, the destination changes either way.
That's a massive statement for a franchise that has built everything around its 33-year-old right winger.
Daily Faceoff relayed Milstein's quote on the superstar winger's future:
-
The Lightning play the Blackhawks tonight at home, and the timing of the quote is awkward. Tampa sits 9-3-2 and eighth in the NHL, so this isn't a team in a tailspin looking for a reset.
Kucherov's contract runs through 2026-27 and ends with unrestricted free agency, which is why the July 1 line matters so much. There is no extension on file.
The talks were already getting loud. Elliotte Friedman said this week that Kucherov's initial contract ask was pegged to Kirill Kaprizov's deal, around $17 million a year, as we covered in Kucherov's reported $17 million target earlier today.
What Tampa does with a walk-away star
Now the Lightning face a real decision. Keep him through the season and chase a title run, or move him before the deadline and get something back for a player who has already told them, through his agent, that he is gone.
Kucherov is still producing. He has 20 points in 14 games this season, with 4 goals and 16 assists.
That kind of production keeps the trade market wide open. Mock deals have already circulated, including one sending Kucherov to the Maple Leafs, though that is speculation and nothing more.
A contender with cap space and a willingness to pay would be buying a rental unless Kucherov agrees to something first. That changes the price. Tampa can't ask for a king's ransom on a player who has said he won't stay.
Jon Cooper's group is 7-0-0 at home, so the Lightning aren't hurting for reasons to keep him in the lineup. General manager Julien Brisebois, though, has to weigh a run now against assets that could fill the hole later.
Tampa has the rest of November to answer, and every game Kucherov plays in a Lightning sweater now carries the July 1 clock with it.
Should the Lightning trade Nikita Kucherov now instead of risking losing him for nothing?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
New team emerge as Dylan Larkin front runner, per Pierre LeBrun
