B/R NHL Staff Debates the Best Trade and Free-Agent Landing Spot for Nikita Kucherov

It appears that Nikita Kucherov's days in Tampa are numbered.

The reigning Hart Trophy winner has stated his intention not to re-sign in Florida come July 1. It's a blow for the Lightning, and losing Kucherov to either a trade or free agency would undoubtedly set the franchise back.

While the Bolts wrestle with the thought of losing one of their top players in their history, we here at B/R are thinking forward: what's the best place for Kuch going forward?

The B/R NHL staff got together to debate the best place for the Russian star. Disagree with our teams? Submit your thoughts now in the comments section of the app!

Montreal Canadiens

Jeff Vinnick/National Hockey League via Getty Images

Mike Matheson, Cole Caufield and Kirby Dach

The Lightning are only trading Kucherov if they literally have no choice, and if they do, I doubt Montreal — a division rival whom they're likely to meet in the playoffs in the next few years — are at the top of their desired trade partners.

Montreal is an incredible landing spot for Kucherov nonetheless. He's extremely proud. The ultimate hockey city would appeal to someone who embraces big moments and has something to prove. The Habs may not have a true franchise center in the vein of Crosby or MacKinnon, but Nick Suzuki is quite like a younger Brayden Point. Kucherov make magic with some of their talented stars like Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson. Compatriot Ivan Demidov would be hard-pressed to find a better mentor.

The Habs, who had their building blocks already signed to team-friendly deals, can afford to throw a blank check at Kucherov without it unbalancing their books. They have both NHL-ready talent and prospects to pull off a move for a star player (we know they're trying with Dylan Larkin).

So suppose the Tampa GM Julien Brisebois learns that Kucherov was not throwing a temporary tantrum but is 100% set on a new chapter, and that he will be joining the Canadiens one way or another. Are they really willing to lose arguably the best player in franchise history for nothing? The competitive window remains open, but they're not a team swimming in resources. They've had to scrap together what they can from late-round picks and undrafted free agent signings in order to build a youth movement. Can the Lightning reframe this in the way that Carolina parlayed Rantanen into assets? That sounds better than the alternative.

- Adam Herman

Utah Mammoth

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Utah Mammoth stars Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley.

After several years of rebuilding under general manager Bill Armstrong, the Utah Mammoth emerged as a playoff contender last season. Adding Nikita Kucherov would help them take a big step toward Stanley Cup contention.

Armstrong spent those years drafting and developing young talent. However, he also made several bold moves in the trade and free-agent markets during the past two years, acquiring defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and MacKenzie Weegar and forwards Anders Lee and Vincent Trocheck.

Landing Kucherov would be his biggest move yet, and his club has what it takes to make it happen.

Kucherov would be reunited with countryman and former Lightning teammate Sergachev. The Mammoth have one of the league's deepest prospect pools to use for trade bait. They also have over $12.2 million in accrued cap space at the trade deadline, and over $24 million projected for 2027-28.

The Mammoth have the assets and the cap space to afford the remainder of Kucherov's cap space and the Lightning's asking price in the trade market, and the cap room next season to sign him via free agency next July.

Questions remain about the caliber of the Mammoth's goaltending and their overall defensive game. Nevertheless, having an established superstar like Kucherov skating alongside rising stars like Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley would make them a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference.

- Lyle Richardson

Dallas Stars

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Nikita Kucherov and Miro Heiskanen

When it comes to where Nikita Kucherov goes next, it's been easy enough to single out the usual teams and cities, and even though Dallas might be considered one of them, their impending free agency with Jason Robertson has taken up all the attention. So we know what you're thinking, trade Robertson for Kucherov, right?

Wrong. Sign both of them and go bonkers on the rest of the league.

If/When the Stars get a long-term deal done with Robertson, the AAV will be in the stratosphere and it's just a question of whether they go max length with seven years or not. Considering he makes $12 million already this year, the raise on top of that will be relative peanuts compared to what they'd need to give a raise to Kucherov.

An extra $6-$8 million a year for Robertson compared to $10.5 million more for Kucherov sounds like (and is!) a ton of money. But Dallas has Tyler Seguin coming off the books next year and his $9.5 million cap hit would help make life easier to signing both players.

If Kucherov doesn't get traded during the season and considering that Tampa Bay are Stanley Cup contenders it's possible, jockeying to acquire his rights in the offseason is the real race on top of coming up with the cash to make Kucherov feel respected. If Stars GM Jim Nill doesn't fear playing a potential game of chicken and hoping the star winger isn't traded, the offseason could see him keep one elite winger long-term and bring in another to go over the top with talent.

- Joe Yerdon

Tampa Bay Lightning

Mark LoMoglio/National Hockey League via Getty Images

Nikita Kucherov

Some guys just look cringey in certain sweaters.

Wayne Gretzky with the Blues. Mark Messier with the Canucks.

Bobby Orr with the Blackhawks.

Kucherov is one of those guys, too.

After all, his No. 86 has been a staple in Tampa Bay blue and white almost since the moment the Lightning made him the 28th pick of the second round in 2011—save for a 16-game stint wearing No. 56 at the outset of his 2013-14 rookie season.

And with all due respect to the colors worn by Montreal, Utah, Dallas, and others, given the two MVPs, three scoring titles, and two Stanley Cups Kucherov's earned since hitting the ice at the arena formerly known as the Tampa Bay Times Forum, there's simply no other threads that warrant his seven-time All-Star attention.

Is it possible someone makes GM Julien BriseBois an offer he can't refuse between now and the March 1 trade deadline, thus mandating "Kuch" get a new stylist? Sure.

Connor Hellebuyck wanted a trade and got one. Brady Tkachuk wanted a trade and got one. Dylan Larkin wants a trade and could get one any day.

But it seems different with Kucherov. Because the issues he's got are solvable.

Unlike those others, he's not frustrated by not winning. The Lightning have done plenty of that. And given a .722 points percentage through 18 games, they're probably not done.

Instead, he's frustrated by what he perceives as poor communication and a lack of respect from management. Which are exactly the sorts of issues that tend to fade when a team sits atop the standings and its brass finally agrees to crack open the checkbook.

Unlike when Steven Stamkos was exiled two summers ago, Kucherov, even at 34 next June, deserves a significant raise from the $9.5 million he's made annually since 2018. BriseBois knows that. And, lest we forget, Tampa Bay is projected to have better than $28 million in wiggle room when the salary cap climbs past $113 million next season.

So, given the available money, his familiarity with the surroundings, and the upward mobility of the team, there's simply no place that makes more sense for Kucherov than staying put and signing a deal that'll allow him to retire with the franchise that drafted him.

Who says you can't stay home?

- Lyle Fitzsimmons