TAMPA, Fla. — This seemed inevitable. Not the trade demand, but the petulance.

When you have a legend who is underpaid and in his 30s — in this case, Nikita Kucherov — and a general manager who is unerringly logical and fearless — in this case, Julien BriseBois — the chances of finding ugliness were seemingly greater than a long-term contract extension.

It appeared that way six months ago when I suggested the Lightning consider trading Kucherov, and the odds only increased when the top end of the NHL’s salary structure zipped past sane in the offseason.

So, no, I do not blame Kucherov for wanting to cash in on what will likely be his last big contract.

And I do not blame BriseBois for being unwilling to offer crazy money to a player who is middle-aged in hockey years.

But there is blame to be shared.

From all indications, the gap between what Kucherov wants (reportedly $20 million a year for six years) and what the Lightning are comfortable paying (more like $15 million a year for four years) is vast. Even if those numbers aren’t precisely right, the idea that Kucherov asked to be traded on Friday suggests the two sides are not terribly close.

So was it a miscalculation on the part of BriseBois to not explore an offseason trade? You could certainly make that argument.

The last time the Lightning allowed an all-time great to enter the final year of his deal without an extension, Steven Stamkos walked away from Tampa Bay. The details with Kucherov are different — he’s a better player at 33 than Stamkos was, and he’s looking for a much larger contract — but the situation is similar philosophically.

BriseBois does not want Tampa Bay’s salary cap to be weighed down by a player in his late 30s whose paycheck exceeds his production on the ice. And history says that’s a strong possibility.

Kucherov will be 34 next season. In the last quarter century, there has been one player to post a 100-point season at 34 or older. It’s possible that Kucherov is the rare exception, but what does that mean? He gets 100 points at 34 and 35? Maybe even 36? And yet he’s still being paid like an MVP at 37, 38 and 39?

Kucherov, at times, has been a liability on defense. And he’s not the captain, nor the community icon, that Stamkos was. So once his playmaking ability begins to dip, his value takes a huge hit.

So, yeah, once he knew how much Kucherov was seeking BriseBois might have erred by not trading him four months ago. It will be even harder now to get value in return — even though BriseBois says he has no intention of trading Kucherov — because the rest of the NHL knows the Lightning have an unhappy camper heading to free agency.

And then there is Kucherov’s role in this.

There’s nothing wrong with seeking a deal that will set you up for life, loyalty be damned. But what’s the point of making a trade demand now, when you’re just months away from free agency? Does he think BriseBois is going to cave when he didn’t for Stamkos? Is Kucherov worried that his stock is going to drop in the next few months? Does he want to force a trade so he can get a new contract extension elsewhere before he has another high-profile, postseason disappearance?

It’s one thing to want to put yourself in position for a lucrative contract, but it’s a little different when you do it at the expense of your current teammates who still have Stanley Cup aspirations in 2026-27.

See what I mean when I say ugliness was a more likely outcome than an extension?

BriseBois is too smart, too unafraid, too principled to make a decision based on the outcry of fans or the headlines in newspapers. His first responsibility is to the organization, and he’s not going to agree to a contract that he believes will significantly hinder the Lightning down the road.

Kucherov, meanwhile, may be annoyed that his current contract leaves him vastly underpaid in the new NHL landscape, but he chose guaranteed money instead of signing a shorter deal that could have sent him to free agency at a younger age. He’s also benefitted from being surrounded by great players for more than a decade, and that’s due to the very same philosophies BriseBois is adhering to now.

So, how does it all end? If I were guessing, I’d say this is the order of likely outcomes:

— 1. Lightning deal Kucherov closer to the trade deadline.

— 2. Kucherov signs an extension with the Lightning.

— 3. Lightning take a shot at the playoffs and then let Kucherov go to free agency.

Maybe there are more options than this. And maybe my list is upside-down in terms of likelihood.

Regardless, I think a happily-ever-after ending has likely been eliminated.

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