Tampa Bay Lightning's disrespectful contract offer for Nikita Kucherov revealed
Photo credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Nikita Kucherov has put a number on his next contract, and it is enormous. Insider Chris Johnston reports the Tampa Bay Lightning superstar asked for a six-year extension with a $20 million average annual value.
wusf
That adds up to $120 million in total. It more than doubles the $9.5 million cap hit the 33-year-old carries now, and his current deal expires after this season, which sets him up for unrestricted free agency next summer.
The number lands one day after Kucherov asked Tampa for a trade. Pierre LeBrun indicated the request is not a bluff designed to pull the Lightning toward his price.
How Far Apart Are Kucherov and the Lightning?
Very far, if the reports hold. David Pagnotta reported Tampa offered four years at $15 million per season, which Kucherov declined.
That is half the total value of what he wants, $60 million against $120 million, and it trails his ask by two years of term as well.
Term is the real sticking point. A six-year deal would carry Kucherov deep into his late 30s, and a $20 million cap charge for that long would squeeze everything else Tampa wants to build around him.
Kucherov knows the market has moved, with Makar at $20.4 million and Celebrini at $18.8 million.
What This Means for Trade Suitors
Kucherov holds a modified no-trade clause with a list of 10 approved destinations, per LeBrun, so the market is narrow before a dollar is discussed. Any team that lands him must also be ready to pay a rate close to the league maximum.
That creates a real risk for buyers. Giving up assets for a player who may walk in July is a hard sell, so the acquiring club would likely need an extension in place quickly.
Cap space is another hurdle, since few contenders can absorb a $20 million hit without moving significant salary out.
For the Lightning, the clock is now ticking. Tampa must decide whether to meet the ask, keep him through the deadline, or get a return before he reaches the open market.
Also read on House Of Hockey :
Mike Babcock publicly reveals a problem with McDavid, Draisaitl, and other stars
Mike Babcock publicly reveals a problem with McDavid, Draisaitl, and other stars
Previously on House Of Hockey