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Kucherov Requests Trade, Won’t Re-Sign With Lightning

By Drooid · Oct 31, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Nikita Kucherov, 33, requested a trade and will not re-sign Tampa Bay.
He is in the final year of an eight-year, $76 million contract.
He rejected a four-year, $15 million-per-season offer, below the $20 million market level.
Lightning GM Julien BriseBois said the club will not trade him despite his ten-team no-trade list.
He started the season with 15 points in 12 games and passed Steven Stamkos as Tampa Bay’s all-time points leader.

History

In July 2016, after nine seasons with Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant announced he would join the Golden State Warriors, signing a two-year, $54.3 million deal. The move echoed LeBron James’s 2010 jump to Miami and sparked a league-wide debate over “superteam” formations and salary-cap balance. Similar contract disputes now surface with players like Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, highlighting ongoing tension between roster continuity and market value.

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In July 2016, after nine seasons with Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant announced he would join the Golden State Warriors, signing a two-year, $54.3 million deal. The move echoed LeBron James’s 2010 jump to Miami and sparked a league-wide debate over “superteam” formations and salary-cap balance. Similar contract disputes now surface with players like Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, highlighting ongoing tension between roster continuity and market value.

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