Elliotte Friedman just provided a fresh update on Nikita Kucherov's trade request, and it says plenty about where the Lightning stand.
The request has dominated the league conversation this week, and the noise hasn't slowed down. Tampa Bay is 9-3-2 and sits 3rd in the Atlantic Division, so this isn't a team in free fall.
Friedman's report, from 32 Thoughts, covers what has and hasn't happened so far.
Friedman noted that Kucherov hasn't submitted a list of destinations where he would agree to extend, and that Tampa isn't even entertaining a deal.
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That is a significant detail. A trade request without a list gives other teams nothing to work with, and a club that won't engage leaves the market frozen.
It also lines up with what we've been hearing all week. David Pagnotta said today on Daily Faceoff Live that Pagnotta's Kucherov trade talk comment points to the winger staying in Tampa until July 1st.
On the ice, Kucherov isn't letting any of this affect his play. He has 20 points in 14 games this season, including two assists in Tuesday night's 4-2 win over the Red Wings.
Why the Lightning hold all the leverage
The Lightning are 7-0-0 at home, and they play Chicago at home on Thursday. Winning is the easiest way to keep a trade request quiet, and Tampa is doing plenty of it.
Kucherov is 33 and his contract ends after this season, when he is set to be an unrestricted free agent. That matters here because any team acquiring him would be paying for the chance to sign him, and without a list from his side, nobody can promise that.
The Lightning, meanwhile, can wait. Pierre LeBrun revealed the details of the two offers Tampa made to Kucherov before the request came in, according to The Athletic, so the club has a paper trail showing it tried.
Tampa's refusal to even listen is the right play for a team with a top-10 record and a goal differential of +7. Selling a 20-point player in early November would gut a contender for nothing but a headline.
But the standoff doesn't end because Tampa says no. If Kucherov does eventually send that list of destinations, the Lightning's stance will be tested, and Brisebois will have to decide how long a closed door stays closed.
Should the Lightning keep Nikita Kucherov and ride out the season?
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