The Lightning has no plans to trade Nikita Kucherov

It's understandable that the team's general manager, Julien BriseBois, wouldn't publicly say he wants to trade his best player.

However, if the news becomes a distraction in Tampa or if the team receives a substantial offer, the situation could change quickly.

Especially since his agent, Dan Milstein, has confirmed the impasse between the two sides.

Kucherov has some control over his own future, as he must submit a list of ten teams to which he would like to be traded.

One might wonder whether Kucherov, who has already won the Stanley Cup twice, will want to join a competitive team or whether he'll try to secure the most lucrative contract possible before the end of his NHL career.

If his goal is to cash in big, Detroit could very well be a prime destination for the forward. This is, in fact, a possible scenario mentioned by Marco D'Amico.

It makes sense, considering that the Red Wings currently have the most cap space in the National Hockey League, with nearly $30 million available.

They have the means to offer a very large contract to last season's leading scorer.

According to David Pagnotta, the Russian reportedly turned down a four-year contract with an average annual salary of $15 million to remain in Tampa Bay.

Even though he's 33 years old, Kucherov could very well become one of the highest-paid players in the NHL, and with the recent rise in salaries, I wouldn't be surprised to see him land a contract worth nearly $20 million per season.

In return, the Lightning could very well land a player like Dylan Larkin (and other assets), as Larkin has made it clear from the start that the Florida team is among those he'd be willing to be traded to.

Even though the American isn't on the same level as Kucherov, this would allow Tampa's GM to acquire a player capable of helping his team immediately and possibly avoid entering rebuild mode by instead acquiring prospects or draft picks.

In a Nutshell

– Is his value on the rise?

– A solid fight for the Quebec native.

– Not easy for the Jets.

– The Kraken are looking to bolster their offense.