According to multiple sources, Nikita Kucherov has informed both his teammates and the Lightning organization that he will not be re-signing with Tampa Bay and would like to be traded.
The exact reasons are unclear at this point, but Kucherov — the NHL’s reigning MVP — is in the final season of an eight-year, $76-million contract. Last week, he passed Steven Stamkos as the leading scorer in franchise history.
Both Lightning GM Julien BriseBois and Dan Milstein, Kucherov’s agent, declined to comment.