I can imagine Stan Bowman has spent at least a little time thinking about what 33-year-old Nikita Kucherov would look like in an Edmonton Oilers jersey.
Kucherov has reportedly informed the Lightning that he won't be signing an extension, and would like to be traded before his contract expires at the end of the season.
Tampa Bay general manager Julien BriseBois has said he has no intention of trading him.
Edmonton has been mentioned as a possible destination, and Kucherov apparently isn't opposed to playing in Canada.
Kucherov had 130 points in 76 games last year, and has reached 100 points in each of his last four seasons. He's won three Art Ross Trophies, two Stanley Cups, and recently passed Steven Stamkos to become Tampa Bay's all-time leading scorer.
The obvious place for Kucherov would be on the right wing alongside McDavid, with Zach Hyman playing on the opposite side when healthy. Edmonton could also put him with Draisaitl, giving Babcock two of the NHL's best playmakers on one line.
Evan Bouchard, Draisaitl, McDavid and Kucherov would be a ridiculous collection of offensive talent on the power play.
Finding the money is another matter.
Kucherov carries a $9.5-million cap hit this season, and Edmonton has very little available cap space. The Oilers would have to move considerable salary to acquire him, even if Tampa Bay agreed to retain some of his contract.
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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has a $5.125-million cap hit, Hyman has $5.5 million. Both would help Edmonton clear salary, but moving either would create another hole in the lineup you can't fix so easily, not to mention their trade protection.
Edmonton could move other contracts, but getting anywhere near $9.5 million would likely require several players, and the Lightning would presumably want prospects and draft picks in return.
There's also the possibility that he'd only be in Edmonton for a few months.
Kucherov is eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer, and any extension would be considerably more expensive than his current contract. Edmonton has major financial commitments to McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard, leaving very little room for another superstar salary.
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I'd have a difficult time giving up several important pieces of the lineup for somebody who might leave in July.
Kucherov has said his decision to leave Tampa Bay isn't about money, explaining that communication with management had deteriorated during extension negotiations.
“It was never about the money for me,” Kucherov said on Monday. “It was more about poor communication and respect.”
According to Kucherov, he and BriseBois spoke just twice over four months, and the general manager eventually made it clear he was free to leave when his contract expired.
He's spent his entire NHL career in Tampa Bay, won two Stanley Cups with the organization, and become the franchise's all-time leading scorer. It's understandable that he'd expect more communication from the people negotiating his next contract.
However, his trade request also raises an interesting question about the no-trade clause players negotiate into their contracts.
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Kucherov has a modified no-trade clause requiring him to approve potential destinations from a list of 10 teams. That gives him considerable influence over where Tampa Bay can send him, even after requesting to leave.
A no-trade clause is something a player earns during contract negotiations, and he's entitled to use it. Teams agree to those conditions, and they shouldn't expect players to give up contractual rights whenever general managers find them inconvenient.
However, if a player is asking his organization to find him a new home, I think there's some responsibility to make that process possible.
Kucherov could potentially limit Tampa Bay to 10 teams while expecting the Lightning to find a trade that works for everybody. That's a pretty difficult position to put an organization in, particularly when the player involved is worth an enormous amount on the trade market.
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Of course, Kucherov has every right to decide where he wants to play, and there's nothing preventing him from finishing the season in Tampa Bay before choosing his own team in free agency.
The Oilers would probably love to have him, and it'd be cool to watch McDavid, Draisaitl, and Kucherov play together.
But unless Bowman can convince Tampa Bay to take back some substantial salary, find enough assets to satisfy the Lightning, and work out a contract that makes sense beyond this season, I don't see how Edmonton gets it done.
