This is the biggest NHL story of the fall. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Nikita Kucherov has told his teammates and the 
Tampa Bay Lightning that he won't re-sign with the team and would like to be traded.
What we know
Friedman broke the news Friday around 6:50 PM ET. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic adds that Kucherov and his agent Dan Milstein had just met with GM Julien BriseBois to deliver the request, and that Kucherov told his teammates on the plane. Chris Johnston and ESPN, through Emily Kaplan, also report the trade request.
Update (8 PM ET): Pierre LeBrun clarifies that Kucherov doesn't have a full no-trade clause. It's a modified clause with a list of 10 approved destinations, a detail Greg Wyshynski also cites via PuckPedia. LeBrun adds that Kucherov plans to keep playing for the Lightning while this plays out.
Update (9:30 PM ET): The Lightning answered. In a statement shared by Pierre LeBrun and Elliotte Friedman, GM Julien BriseBois says the team unequivocally has no intention of trading Kucherov. LeBrun then reached agent Dan Milstein, who said Nikita has spoken to all the parties involved and there's nothing else to add for now. David Pagnotta also reports chatter that Tampa had put a four year offer worth around $15 million a season in front of him. So the standoff is on. For your pool, nothing changes in the short term. Kucherov plays Saturday in Nashville and stays a must start.
The exact reasons aren't known yet. Per Friedman, both BriseBois and Milstein declined to comment.
Kucherov, 33, is in the final season of an eight year, $76 million deal ($9.5 million cap hit). He can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Back in September, BriseBois told NHL.com he expected Kucherov to stay in Tampa for many years to come.
The numbers
Kucherov is the NHL's reigning MVP. He won the Hart Trophy in 2019 and 2026, the Art Ross Trophy three times and the Stanley Cup twice. Last season he piled up 130 points in 76 games.
This season he has 15 points (4 goals, 11 assists) in 12 games, including 5 power play points. He sits second on the Lightning behind Brandon Hagel (16 points). For his career, he has 1,139 points in 891 games. Friedman notes he passed Steven Stamkos last week as the franchise's all time leading scorer.
The Lightning (8-3-1) play Saturday at 2 PM ET in Nashville.
Pool take
Points pools: don't panic and don't sell low. A player this good produces anywhere. If he's moved to a contender, he should keep a big role, power play included. The short term risk is distraction and a few games of adjustment. Since LeBrun hears he'll keep playing, keep him active for Saturday.
Salary cap pools: his $9.5 million cap hit expires after this season. His next contract is a big question mark, so keep some flexibility for next year.
Keeper and dynasty leagues: at 33 and without a contract past this season, his long term value is less certain. If you own him, hold, but this is the right time to listen if a rival wants to pay a premium.
The rest of the Lightning: keep an eye on Brandon Hagel, Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point. Their production could shift if Kucherov leaves Tampa, but nothing has happened yet. That's our analysis, not a team announcement.
Daily and playoff pools: he's still a top play as long as he's in the lineup. For playoff pools, his destination will make all the difference.
We're following this closely and will update this story as soon as there's more.
