Reports: Nikita Kucherov tells Lightning he won't re-sign, asks for trade

Eduardo A. Encina, Tampa Bay Times on Oct 30, 2026

Published in Hockey

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TAMPA, Fla. — A day after receiving a standing ovation from the Benchmark International Arena crowd, celebrating Nikita Kucherov becoming the Lightning’s all-time leading scorer, the star right wing reportedly has told the team he will not re-sign and is requesting a trade.

The Lightning and Kucherov, who is in the final season of an eight-year, $9.5 million average-annual value deal, have been unable to agree to an extension since he became eligible for a new deal July 1.

Even though the sides were at an impasse, there wasn’t much to indicate that they wouldn’t be able to eventually come to terms. It appeared both Kucherov and Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois were committed to keeping Kucherov in a Tampa Bay uniform for life.

So news that Kucherov now wants out of Tampa Bay is a bombshell that rocks every part of the Lightning organization. Kucherov is coming off his second Hart Memorial Trophy season and has been the lifeblood of the team’s success, including back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.

Kucherov just became the Lightning’s all-time scoring leader, passing longtime mentor Steven Stamkos with his 1,138th career point on Saturday in Utah.

Reached for comment Thursday night, Kucherov’s agent, Dan Milstein, declined comment. A text message to BriseBois wasn’t immediately returned.