Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper said Saturday that Nikita Kucherov remains committed to playing with the team this season, despite reports Friday that the star winger had requested a trade. Kucherov was in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Nashville Predators as questions about his future followed the Lightning into the matchup.
Speaking before the game, Cooper described Kucherov as fully invested in a group with which he shares a strong bond. “Kuch is 100% a part of this team,” Cooper said, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The coach said the winger wants to remain with Tampa Bay for the season and is committed to his teammates.
Kucherov, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, has told the Lightning he will not sign another contract with the organization. Sources told ESPN that he requested a trade and informed his teammates of his situation before they landed in Nashville. His contract includes a limited no-trade clause, and he supplied Tampa Bay with a list of 10 teams he would accept as destinations.
General manager Julien BriseBois responded to the reports in a statement released Friday night, making clear that the organization does not intend to move Kucherov. “We unequivocally have no intention of trading Nikita,” BriseBois said. That position leaves Tampa Bay preparing to continue its season with a player who has spent his entire 13-season NHL career with the franchise.
During that time, Kucherov has helped the Lightning win two Stanley Cups and sustain a decade of success under Cooper. His individual achievements include two Hart Trophies as the NHL's most valuable player and three scoring titles. He will turn 34 next June, ahead of his scheduled entry into unrestricted free agency.
Cooper said the developments have not altered Tampa Bay's goals for the season, although they may change the circumstances surrounding its pursuit of those goals. He also acknowledged Kucherov's right to determine what happens after the season and suggested that the situation may have strengthened the team.
The coach cautioned against interpreting future frustration from Kucherov, or from the coaching staff, as evidence that the trade request is affecting the team. Mistakes, unsuccessful plays and reactions on the ice should not automatically be linked to his future, Cooper said. He expects to maintain his usual coaching approach and Kucherov to keep playing at his established level. Tampa Bay entered Saturday with an 8-3-1 record, holding the Eastern Conference's first wild-card spot.
