For the fourth consecutive year, the Tampa Bay Lightning were ousted in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs despite championship expectations. And for the fourth straight year, Nikita Kucherov’s underwhelming performance was one of the key reasons why.
The superstar winger wasn’t bad by any means in their seven-game series loss to the Montreal Canadiens, but he also wasn’t close to the Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner we’ve seen dominate the postseason in the past.
Because of that, Tampa Bay is now headed into the offseason with major questions about whether this core can truly compete for another Stanley Cup. That could lead to significant changes, and TSN insider Pierre LeBrun even wondered about Kucherov’s future, given that he has just one year remaining on his current contract.
“Which brings us to a wild thought: Would BriseBois consider moving Kucherov? Kucherov had his moments in this series, but he was held pointless in the last three games and overall, his frustration showed throughout. That wasn’t Hart Trophy Kucherov in this series.
Odds are the Lightning’s top priority is, in fact, to extend Kucherov, who turns 33 in June. But I will just point out, BriseBois has never been afraid to swing big. That would be one heck of a chip to push into the market. And there might be some big-name players on the move in trades this summer. And Tampa often ends up being top 5 on many a star player’s list. Just saying,”
The 32-year-old Kucherov, as mentioned, is set to enter the eighth and final year of the eight-year, $76 million extension he signed with the Lightning in 2018, making him eligible for a new extension on July 1.
Moving on from Kucherov would be an extremely bold decision from GM Julien BriseBois, but he has shown he’s not afraid to make tough calls, most notably with Steven Stamkos and Mikhail Sergachev.
That said, it still feels unlikely that Kucherov goes anywhere. However, his expiring contract absolutely makes this a situation worth monitoring heading into the offseason.
Next: Analyst Questions Penguins’ Decision Not to Re-Sign Jake Guentzel
