Some guys just look cringey in certain sweaters—Wayne Gretzky with the Blues, Mark Messier with the Canucks, Bobby Orr with the Blackhawks.
Kucherov is one of those guys, too.
After all, his No. 86 has been a staple in Tampa Bay blue and white almost since the moment the Lightning made him the 58th pick of the 2011 draft—save for a 16-game stint wearing No. 56 at the outset of his 2013-14 rookie season.
And with all due respect to the colors worn by Montreal, Utah, Dallas, and others, given the two MVPs, three scoring titles, and two Stanley Cups Kucherov has earned since hitting the ice at the arena formerly known as the Tampa Bay Times Forum, there are simply no other threads that warrant his seven-time All-Star attention.
Is it possible someone makes GM Julien BriseBois an offer he can’t refuse between now and the March 1 trade deadline, thus mandating that “Kuch” get a new stylist? Sure.
Connor Hellebuyck wanted a trade and got one. Brady Tkachuk wanted a trade and got one. Dylan Larkin wants a trade and could get one any day.
But it seems different with Kucherov, because the issues he’s got are solvable.
Unlike those others, he’s not frustrated by not winning. The Lightning have done plenty of that. And given a .722 points percentage through 18 games, they’re probably not done.
Instead, he’s frustrated by what he perceives as poor communication and a lack of respect from management. These are the sorts of issues that tend to fade when a team sits atop the standings, and its brass finally agrees to open the checkbook.
Unlike Steven Stamkos, who was exiled in summer 2024, Kucherov, despite turning 34 next year, deserves a significant raise from the $9.5 million annual cap hit he has carried since 2019-20. BriseBois knows that.
And, lest we forget, Tampa Bay is projected to have better than $28 million in wiggle room when the salary cap climbs past $113 million next season.
So, given the available money, his familiarity with the surroundings, and the upward mobility of the team, there’s simply no place that makes more sense for Kucherov than staying put and signing a deal that’ll allow him to retire with the franchise that drafted him.
Who says you can’t stay home?
