Kucherov Insulted by Tampa Tactic, Now ‘Wants McDavid, Matthews, or Pastrnak’

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This just in from an article on RG.org about where Nikita Kucherov might end up next: “He wants to be the top scorer every year and play on a team with McDavid or Matthews or Pastrnak, plus in a big market, so people talk about how good he is,” the source told RG. “Playing in Florida, people forget about you from time to time.”

The report suggests that playing with Connor McDavid, along with other NHL superstars like Auston Matthews or David Pastrnak, would be a priority for Kucherov, potentially over how much money he could make on his next deal.

The article also cites a report from ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, who said that Kucherov wants to play with another of the league’s top stars and has specific players and teams in mind. Bob Stauffer also reported that Kucherov’s agent, Dan Milstein, has teams in mind and he’s a big fan of head coach Mike Babcock.

There is chatter that Kucherov, who also feels slighted by the two offers Tampa Bay has made during their contract negotiations, doesn’t feel the Lightning offer that caliber of player to play with. “It was never about the money for me,” said Kucherov when he spoke to Tampa media on Monday. He said that he and the team had only two conversations and GM Julie BrisBois told him he was free to test free agency.

That seems to have been what tipped Kucherov over the edge.

“He understands that Tampa has already squeezed everything out of itself and you can’t win there,” the source said. “The team is average on its own.” This suggests that teams who can offer players no better than Brandon Hagel, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, or Victor Hedman might have a lesser chance of acquiring Kucherov.

This doesn’t mean money won’t play a role in his next deal. It doesn’t sound like Kucherov is willing to do what McDavid did when he signed a two-year, $12.5 million extension to give the Oilers a chance to win. Kucherov wants to be treated like a top star, keep scoring like a top star, and be paid like a top star. However, he might be willing to shave off some of his $20 million-per-season ask if a team like the Edmonton Oilers or Toronto Maple Leafs can offer him something fair.

What Is It Worth to Kucherov To Have The Best Linemate?

The question will become: how badly does Kucherov want to play with an elite superstar? If his focus is winning, he might have to rule out a few teams that have a superstar but aren’t yet in their window to win. If it’s not about winning but personal accolades, that brings a few teams back into the mix.

However, if he’s leaning away from teams like Florida —  “Playing in Florida, people forget about you from time to time.” said one source — then that’s helpful for teams like Edmonton and Toronto.

The Oilers and Maple Leafs can only do so much. They aren’t in a position to offload key pieces from their roster for a rental, regardless of how good Kucherov is. Both teams also can’t spend more than would allow them to re-sign these elite stars Kucherov wants to play with. McDavid’s deal is up in two seasons, and his next contract will be massive. Evan Bouchard also has three years before he needs a new deal. The Oilers would need the money to re-sign those players, and a 36-year-old Kucherov would have to understand that going in.

Both the Oilers and Maple Leafs are trying to give themselves the best odds to win now, but not at the expense of losing a top star in the future.

Next: Kucherov Open to Joining Maple Leafs, What Would It Take to Get It Done?