8 Teams That Should Seriously Consider a Kucherov Trade

Nikita Kucherov’s trade request has put the NHL’s most intriguing question on the table: what would it take to land one of the best players in the world? The complication is his timeline and whether or not he’s willing to sign an extension before July 1 (which Elliotte Friedman believes he is not).

The Lightning have made clear he can walk on July 1, and he’s unlikely to commit anywhere before then. That means any team trading for him is paying a premium for what could be a rental, and the asking price will reflect that risk. The Athletic’s panel of writers sorted all 32 teams by how seriously they should pursue him.

These eight landed in the “should consider it” tier. Here’s why each makes sense, and what could get in the way.

Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo needs a high-end scorer, and the assets are in-house to make a deal. The trouble is the fit with Kucherov’s wishes: with only limited trade protection, he can steer himself away from places he doesn’t want to go, and Matthew Fairburn suggests the Sabres likely aren’t on his short list. Giving up major pieces without an extension in hand would be a tough sell.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes never shy away from a blockbuster, and Kucherov would be the biggest swing yet. He’s at a different point in his career than Mikko Rantanen was, but he’s a much better player. The sticking point is price. Tampa Bay will ask about Carolina’s best young forwards, and those players are hard to part with for a 33-year-old who might leave in the summer. If the Hurricanes weren’t open to trading assets for Connor Hellebuyck or Dylan Larkin (both locked into longer-term deals), it feels like they would balk at the idea of doing it for a rental.

Edmonton Oilers

Pairing Kucherov with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is the kind of idea that sells itself, and the Oilers are built to win right now. The roadblocks are hard to overlook: tight cap space and a thin collection of premium assets. It’s also unclear whether Edmonton would be near the top of his preferences. Friedman reported the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs might be ahead of Edmonton, but reports conflict on whether he’d consider any team in Canada.

Minnesota Wild

Kucherov and Kirill Kaprizov are close friends, which gives the Wild a unique selling point. Everything hinges on Quinn Hughes. If the Wild lock him up, the cap room for Kucherov disappears. If Hughes walks, Minnesota could pivot and build around a Kaprizov-Kucherov duo.

New York Islanders

The Islanders need a game-changing forward to go with Ilya Sorokin in net and Matthew Schaefer on the blue line. GM Mathieu Darche’s ties to Tampa and Kucherov can’t hurt. The question is direction. With the roster’s age and contract picture, going younger might be wiser than a rental.

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are the best example of why July 1 changes the calculus. They’ve given Kucherov little reason to pick them, but a rising cap and projected space make them a free-agent threat. Trading assets now only makes sense if he’d actually view New York as a contender.

Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now said Russian players tend to wind up in New York. The Rangers have as good a shot as anyone, despite how uncompetitive they’ve been lately.