NHL insider Elliotte Friedman sent the hockey world into a frenzy late last week, dropping league altering news that Tampa Bay Lightning Superstar winger Nikita Kucherov will not re-sign with the team and would like a trade.
The Lightning have since released a statement, on X, stating they have no intention of moving the player, but teams around the league have seen firsthand how much more power players wield in these kinds of disputes.
The most recent example, the Winnipeg Jets had their hand forced into moving the league MVP, Connor Hellebuyck, after a lengthy standoff occurred after he requested a trade.
It's reasonable to assume Kucherov could go the same route if his request isn't granted. If Tampa is forced to move him, should the Nashville Predators throw an offer in for what will likely be a bidding war for the player's services?
In an interview posted by Tampa Bay beat writer Eduardo A. Encina on X, Kucherov answered a question about the nature of the trade request.
Nikita Kucherov said that his trade request was a result of “poor communication and respect.”
— Eduardo A. Encina (@EddieInTheYard) November 2, 2026
“It was never about the money for me.”
Said that JBB had just two conversions with him during the last four months.#gobolts pic.twitter.com/q9xzTCRa02
"It was never about the money for me... More about poor communication and respect"Nikita Kucherov of the Lightning
Visibly shaken, he also mentioned letting his teammates know and that they heard about the request from him first. Is it possible in the days after the news broke, he had any conversations with close teammates from the past too, maybe Steven Stamkos of the Predators?
Steven Stamkos came to the Nashville Predators after what could be described as an awkward breakup with the Bolts as well. When his contract talks went nowhere, the franchise's icon was forced to move on. Could he be a warning of what could happen to Kucherov if General Manager Julien BriesBois can't get a deal done?
This news didn't overshadow Kucherov's accomplishment this season of becoming the franchise's all-time career points leader, passing Stamkos. In a quote from Alex Daugherty of the Tennessean, Steven Stamkos said this of his longtime teammate,
"Everyone knows what I think of him as a player and as a person. Getting a chance to play with him for so long, he was a huge part of my success. I still keep in touch with him."Steven Stamkos of the Predators
With a couple of connections inside the Preds locker room, including another Nashville forward, Ross Colton, one could wonder if General Manager Chris MacFarland could get a deal done that would make the Russian winger happy enough to come over and re-sign here.
Since taking over as GM of Nashville, MacFarland has made quite a few moves, targeting a very specific age range of around 22-26. Shane Wright, Mavrik Bourque, Jack Drury, Nils Hoglander, and Jayden Struble, to name a few.
At 33 years old, Kucherov is a bit outside that range. However, with a few veteran players still around, MacFarland could try to get them a few more runs in the playoffs while they are still in Gold. Goaltender Juuse Saros still has six years left on his deal. Filip Forsberg has three years left, and Brady Skjei has four after this season.
If MacFarland believes that since taking over he stocked the cupboard enough to add a few young talented players into the lineup around the aging core, he should absolutely inject the world-class skill of Kucherov into this lineup by making a trade offer to the Lightning.
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