Nikita Kucherov wants to be among the highest-paid players in NHL history.
The Tampa Bay Lightning forward is looking for a six-year deal with an average annual value of at least $20 million on his next contract, league sources told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
Kucherov told the Lightning he won’t re-sign and wants to be traded, with news of his request first reported Friday.
Kucherov was likely willing to take less than $20 million per season before the NHL’s contract landscape surged this summer with monster deals for Leo Carlsson, Macklin Celebrini, and Cale Makar, among others, LeBrun adds. Once those pacts were signed, there was reportedly no scenario in which Kucherov would accept less than $20 million over six years from the Lightning. That’s the contract Kucherov will demand from other teams in a sign-and-trade or in free agency when the market opens July 1, per LeBrun.
Makar’s $20.4-million AAV currently stands to be the highest in NHL history when his extension begins next season, followed by Celebrini at $18.8 million.
The Lightning reportedly offered Kucherov a four-year deal with a $15-million AAV during the first week of July. They upped the length to six years in September but didn’t raise the AAV, according to LeBrun.
However, Kucherov won’t sign with Tampa Bay even if the organization caves and meets his asking price, per LeBrun. Kucherov said Monday that his trade request stemmed from “poor communication and respect” from the Lightning, noting that his camp and the club have spoken only twice in the last four months.
Kucherov reportedly maintains a strong relationship with Lightning head coach Jon Cooper and will play out the rest of the season in Tampa Bay if a trade doesn’t happen. Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said he has no intention of trading the star winger.
Kucherov is in the final season of an eight-year contract carrying an AAV of $9.5 million. The 33-year-old has led the NHL in scoring in two of the last three years and won his second Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2025-26 when he racked up 44 goals and 130 points in 76 games. He’s tallied 18 points in 13 appearances to begin the new campaign.
A second-round pick by the Lightning in 2011, Kucherov has spent his entire career in Tampa Bay. He led the franchise to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, leading the postseason in scoring each time.