6 Potential NHL Landing Spots for Nikita Kucherov After Reported Trade Request

We're used to trade drama at this point in an already wild NHL season, but the biggest bombshell yet dropped Friday: Nikita Kucherov informed the Lightning that he will not re-sign and would like to be traded.

Later that night, Lightning GM Julien BriseBois said the club has "no intention of trading Nikita."

 Kucherov is a pending unrestricted free agent, and the two sides clearly haven't been able to come to an agreement on an extension. While it seems likely he will continue to play for the Lightning for at least a while, he could eventually go the Dylan Larkin route and force Tampa Bay's hand by sitting out games. If so, here are six potential landing spots for the 33-year-old reigning Hart Trophy winner.

Carolina Hurricanes

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Sebastian Aho

The defending champion Hurricanes, who have started this year looking like a back-to-back Cup win is imminent, would be an enticing landing spot for any player, especially a star at the tail end of his prime like Kucherov.

The Hurricanes currently have $8,010,259 in cap space, according to Puckpedia, and four first-round picks over the next three years. They could relatively easily fit the last season of Kucherov's $9.5 million cap hit onto their roster, and they've got some enticing draft capital that the Lightning could use. Plus, they've got an unhappy camper looking for a change of scenery in young defenseman Alex Nikishin to offer, who signed a one-year deal for $3 million but was reportedly looking to play elsewhere during the offseason.

The questions become: What is Kucherov really looking for here? Would the Hurricanes invest in him long-term, or would both sides be fine with a rental situation? And of course, are the Lightning willing to give an in-conference contender a Hart Trophy winner?

Minnesota Wild

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Quinn Hughes

It's a win-now year for the Wild if there ever has been one. They're first in the Central and gaining steam with a 9-3-3 record and a goal differential of 12, and they're still hanging onto pending unrestricted free agent Quinn Hughes -- for now. Many think they're trying to acquire friend of Hughes and trade requestor Dylan Larkin, but could Kucherov's sudden availability change things?

Minnesota's biggest need is still a center, but Kucherov is Kucherov. Plus, he's got arguably better playmaking ability than any other winger and plenty of premier centers in the NHL. The Kucherov-Kirill Kaprizov connection could be pure magic.

It all comes down to what Tampa Bay is looking for, which is completely unknown at this point. The Wild have all their future first-round picks, but their prospect pool is wearing thin after going all-in on Hughes.

Montreal Canadiens

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Cole Caufield and Chris Kreider

The Habs followed up their exciting playoff run with a shaky start to the season, but they appear to have stabilized on this four-game win streak. They're sitting at second in the Atlantic now with a 8-3-2 record and a goal-differential of five.

Kucherov could really keep the momentum going and give this team even more high-end skill and a bit more veteran experience. Montreal could use one more true star player to round out its top two lines.

Now, an in-division trade between two potential playoff teams involving a Hart Trophy winner seems pretty unlikely. The return would have to be gigantic, but at the same time, this feels like the best fit for Kucherov. The Canadiens have done a great job locking down their young core at reasonable prices, and they've got nearly $30 million in projected cap space for next season to sign Kucherov to an extension.

Also, Kucherov's former teammate Martin St. Louis is Montreal's head coach. You have to think as much as the Lightning might be deterred to do this, it really does make the most sense of all the options.

New York Rangers

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Mika Zibanejad

It's no secret that the Rangers are struggling without Igor Shesterkin, and that a season that started with such promise is more than likely now a wash. But let's think about what Kucherov is actually seeking in a landing spot.

If winning were the main driver, he wouldn't have requested a trade from the Lightning. Tampa is in a playoff spot, and they're 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.

The Rangers have the cap space to fit the last season of his current contract in without Shesterkin, and they are looking at about $38 million in cap space to fill out the roster next season. They've got to extend Gabe Perreault, Will Cuylle, and a few others, but they could realistically give Kucherov upwards of $20 million, according to The Athletic's Chris Johnston, who says he is reportedly seeking that. They could also give him the opportunity to play with countrymen like Vladislav Gavrikov, Pavel Dorofeyev, and the now-injured Igor Shesterkin for the long term.

The problem is, the Rangers aren't necessarily just a Kucherov away from contending. They'd have to make sure they could immediately sign him to an extension; otherwise, the risk of losing him after a rental season makes absolutely no sense.

If the Lightning want to avoid sending Kucherov to a contender, you could see them signing off on this one. If the Rangers sent over Perreault, they'd have even more space to make a Kucherov extension work, and it would be extremely difficult for the Lightning to turn a player of that caliber with that much potential down.

San Jose Sharks

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Macklin Celebrini

Kucherov reportedly wants to play alongside a star, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan. Can you imagine how electric the Macklin Celebrini-to-Kucherov connection would be? That alone forces you to consider a deal between the Lightning and the Sharks.

The Sharks are still a few years away from Cup contention, so they'd have to bank on Kucherov's longevity, as he's not getting any younger at 33 years old. The Sharks are struggling at even strength, though, and a player like Kucherov specifically could come in and turn that around.

They've got an abundance of superb young players to toss at the Lightning, but how much do they really want to mess with their rebuild and chemistry, and how much is the Lightning going to ask for?

The timeline isn't perfect here, but the Sharks have the cap space and the superstar Kucherov is apparently seeking. If the player holds the most leverage in the situation, you get the sense he'd wind up in San Jose. But the two teams in question do have to sign off on this, after all. We'll see how much GM Mike Grier is willing to part ways with.

Utah Mammoth

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Logan Cooley

The Mammoth have not shied away from going after big-name players, even if they don't always win the sweepstakes. They were in on Connor Hellebuyck, and it seems like they've expressed interest in Dylan Larkin.

This is a team that is about two players away from longer playoff runs and perennial contention. Not to mention, they've got no major pending free agents with their young core locked up, and they're projected to have just over $25 million in salary cap space next season, according to Puckpedia.

Kucherov would work great alongside a budding star like Logan Cooley. While the Mammoth should really focus on fixing their goaltending situation, a player like Kucherov could only help in the meantime.

Again, the possibility of this deal depends on what Tampa Bay is looking for in return. If the Lightning are focusing on futures and prospects, they might be inclined to do business with the Mammoth. If they're looking to go the established player route, it's harder to imagine Kucherov in Utah.