Elliotte Friedman shuts down Kucherov negotiation theory

Elliotte Friedman just said people close to Nikita Kucherov believe his Lightning exit talk is real, not a negotiation tactic.

The theory has been floating around since Kucherov made his position public last Friday night. Some read the agent's side of it as leverage, with plenty of time left before anything has to happen.

Friedman pushed back on that. He spent last Friday night and Saturday reaching out to anyone who had played with Kucherov or knew him well, and he said every one of them gave the same answer: "if he says it, it's real."

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He added that people truly believe Kucherov is serious about not returning to Tampa. Friedman also said Kucherov has looked like a player with a weight off his shoulders, someone who had been bottling it up and feels better with it out in the open.

Friedman was careful, too. He isn't calling anybody a liar, and he reminded listeners that what's true today might not be true tomorrow. If the Lightning arrive with a huge offer, he said, things could change.

The Lightning side is the missing piece. Friedman noted that general manager Julien Brisebois still hasn't spoken, and he wants to hear how Brisebois feels before this is treated as settled.

Why the Lightning standoff is far from over

Here is what makes it awkward. Kucherov is on the final year of a deal that carries a $9.5 million cap hit and ends with unrestricted free agency, so Tampa Bay's leverage shrinks with every week.

Earlier this week, Frank Seravalli's report on the Lightning deadline stance said they are telling teams they won't move him. Friedman's sources describe a player who has already made up his mind. Both can be true at once, and that is the standoff.

On the ice, nothing has slipped. Kucherov has 20 points in 15 games, and the Lightning are 10-3-2, third in the Atlantic Division.

They beat Chicago 4-1 last night to stay unbeaten at home at 8-0-0. Kucherov was off the scoresheet but put three shots on goal.

The road is the soft spot. Tampa Bay is 2-3-2 away from home and heads to Minnesota on Saturday.

Not everyone sees a quick resolution. David Pagnotta's view that Kucherov stays until July 1 points to a long wait, and Friedman's message doesn't make that wait any easier on Tampa.

If Brisebois speaks and the Lightning really aren't budging, a player who says he's gone meets a team that says it won't sell, with a contract that expires either way.

Quick hits

ANAHEIM DUCKS: Leo Carlsson has reached 100 NHL assists, and the Ducks' official account says he got there tonight in Calgary. A nice round number for a young playmaker.

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CALGARY FLAMES: Kevin Bahl is out with a lower body injury and won't play tonight against the Ducks, the Flames announced. That's a hit to their blue line on short notice.

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WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Spencer Carbery pushed back on the questions about Logan Thompson, calling his goalie "solid" even as the numbers slide. Coaches always say that, until they don't.

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BOSTON BRUINS: Chris Johnston says December 1st is now a massive real deadline for Simon Edvinsson, and he named the Bruins as a team that makes sense. Keep an eye on this one.

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EDMONTON OILERS: The Oilers have been far better away from Rogers Place, and the Canucks arrive Saturday night with a chance to make that problem worse. A strange one for a home crowd.

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