NHL Notebook: Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov requests trade

A player with the calibre of Kucherov hasn’t been moved before the trade deadline in a very long time. Selected 58th overall in 2011, Kucherov has scored 405 goals and 1,139 points over 13 seasons, right there alongside Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid in terms of production.

He’s also won two Stanley Cups, is a seven-time All-Star, a three-time Art Ross Trophy winner, and has two Hart Trophies and Ted Lindsay Awards to his name. Last season, he won his second Hart trophy after scoring 44 goals and 130 points in 76 games.

Kucherov is off to a torrid start yet again, scoring four goals and 15 points through his first 12 games. He just recently set the Lightning’s all-time point record, surpassing Steven Stamkos with an assist in a 5-2 loss on October 24th.

He’s undoubtedly the best player available for trade, so expect all contenders to have some level of interest in the 33-year-old.

Dylan Larkin sits out while waiting for a trade

Another top-six forward who is seemingly available for trade is Dylan Larkin. On October 29th, Larkin’s agent Pat Brisson issued a statement relayed through The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun that he’ll sit out until he’s traded, as he requested to be dealt this past summer.

In turn, Detroit Red Wings interim general manager and former Edmonton Oiler Shawn Horcoff announced that Larkin has been suspended without pay.

Larkin requested a trade in the summer, with the Red Wings’ captain giving a 10-team trade list. All 10 of those teams are based in the United States and are the Lightning, Utah Mammoth, Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Carolina Hurricanes.

There was a similar situation that just ended, as fellow American Connor Hellebuyck requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets. The netminder didn’t attend their training camp and was suspended, a suspension that ended last Friday. That same day, Hellebuyck was traded to the Devils.

Russia’s Ice Hockey Federation allowed to return to international tournaments

On Friday morning, the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced that Russia’s hockey program will be allowed to participate in international tournaments.

Team Russia has been barred from tournaments due to their ongoing invasion of Ukraine. In response to the ruling, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and several members, including Team Canada, voiced their disagreement in the decision.

There are still plenty of hoops to jump through, such as whether players can get visas, whether hosts will want to host, and a handful of other things.

The next tournament Russia is eligible to play in is the World Junior Championship, set to be hosted in late-December/early-January in Edmonton and Red Deer. If they do enter the tournament, it’s expected that last tournament’s ninth-placed team, Team Norway, will be bumped down to a lower division to make room for Team Russia.