Kirill Kaprizov says he would love to play with Nikita Kucherov, and the Minnesota Wild star got a long look at him Saturday night.
Kucherov scored the overtime winner in Tampa Bay's 4-3 win over the Wild, one of the 20 shot attempts he put up. Afterward, the two friends walked out of the building together, talking shop.
Kaprizov made his feelings known late last season, when he was asked about Kucherov's wish to play with him someday. "I would love to play with him," he said. "Just try to be open for him, and he'll find you. Maybe. You never know." At the time, Kaprizov was thinking mostly of Russia's national team.
Now the idea has real stakes. Kucherov asked for a trade last month, and people who know him say he has dug in. If he isn't moved, he will likely hit free agency July 1. We've followed Nikita Kucherov's trade talk since late October.
The Lightning, for their part, have said they "unequivocally have no intention" of trading the best player in franchise history. Kucherov's 10-team list is unknown.
Kaprizov was glowing about the way Kucherov reads the game. "Everyone thinks it looks slow. But it's not slow. In the game, it's so fast," he said.
The respect runs both ways. Kucherov told reporters that whoever scouted Kaprizov for Minnesota "should be a GM now," since all 31 other teams passed on him until the Wild took him 135th in 2015. He called Kaprizov gritty and said he hates to lose.
Why the Wild fit Kucherov in free agency
The cap math is the first piece. Quinn Hughes' deal runs through this season, and if he doesn't re-sign, Bill Guerin will have a mountain of space. Guerin is not a GM who lowballs anyone, and Kucherov would be the biggest target on the market.
The roster is the second piece. Minnesota sits 12-3-4 and second in the NHL, with Kaprizov at 16 goals in 19 games. Guerin has talked about using this window, and Kucherov's 22 points in 16 games say he can still drive a line.
Minnesota also has a recent habit of landing on lists. Nikita Kucherov's Dylan Larkin comparison is a reminder that Brady Tkachuk and Larkin both named the Wild among teams they would be open to joining.
Still, this is a long way from done. Every contender will line up for Kucherov, and he rarely says what he is thinking. Coach John Hynes called him "a unique player" with great deception after watching him up close.
Kucherov plays in Winnipeg tonight. Minnesota visits Montreal on Tuesday.
Quick hits
WINNIPEG JETS: Defenseman Elias Salomonsson will be away from the team indefinitely for personal reasons, according to a post on X this morning. No timeline is given, and the Jets will have to adjust on the blue line.
-
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Spittin' Chiclets reports the Blackhawks held a players-only meeting after last night's 9-2 loss in Carolina. A defeat like that will do it.
-
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Morgan Rielly's status is still unknown as the Leafs host the Devils tonight. Jim Hiller called the injury "a big blow." Waiting on that update is never fun.
-
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Sidney Crosby scored twice in the Penguins' 5-2 win over the Kings Saturday night, including an empty-netter that took real effort. He still hustles for the ones that don't matter.
-
SEATTLE KRAKEN: The Kraken recalled goalie Niklas Kokko from Coachella Valley to travel with them to Finland, according to NHL Rosters. A third goalie on the Helsinki trip is a smart safeguard.
-
Should the Wild make Nikita Kucherov their top free-agent target if he reaches the market?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Maple Leafs lineup vs. Devils: Jim Hiller shakes things up
