Pierre LeBrun reports that Nikita Kucherov has no shortlist of destinations, and the Lightning star hasn't even started thinking about one.
That separates him from Dylan Larkin, whose name keeps popping up whenever star players and their next stops come up. Kucherov's contract expires after this season, so the question of where he lands isn't going away.
LeBrun's report is dated November 3, and it was shared again today.
LeBrun noted that Kucherov hasn't even sat down for a deep dive on where his NHL career continues, and he was told there is no shortlist.
-
Read that carefully. It doesn't say Kucherov wants to stay in Tampa Bay, and it doesn't say he is leaving. It says the homework hasn't been done, which means any team picturing him in its lineup next year is guessing.
We covered the Brandon Hagel defense of Kucherov last week, and the noise around the 33-year-old hasn't died down since. A star with no list can't be tied to a destination in any honest way, whatever the rumor mill says.
The Lightning, meanwhile, are in no position to look like a team in transition. They're 11-4-2, third in the Atlantic Division, and Kucherov has 22 points in 17 games.
Why no shortlist makes the Lightning's job harder
A shortlist gives a general manager something to work with. Julien Brisebois has nothing like that to negotiate around, no preferred market and no timeline.
Tampa Bay lost 4-3 in Winnipeg on Sunday, and it is 3-4-2 on the road. At home the Lightning are 8-0-0, which says plenty about how different the team looks at Amalie Arena than away from it. They head to Buffalo on Wednesday.
Our report on Kucherov and Larkin showed how quickly the two names get tied together. Detroit isn't helping its side of that comparison, since the Red Wings are 7-8-3 and have lost three straight ahead of tonight's game in St. Louis.
The straightforward read is that a Kucherov decision is months away. The Lightning would do well to hope he sits down for that deep dive before the trade deadline pressure builds.
Quick hits
VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Manny Malhotra was asked if he has a message for Canucks fans after a sixth straight loss, a 3-1 defeat to the Flyers. That's a tough question to face on a night like this.
-
SAN JOSE SHARKS: Two fights broke out off the same faceoff with 11.5 seconds left in the second period against the Islanders. Ivar Stenberg then ended the Sharks' five-game losing streak by scoring in the eighth round of the shootout, a 3-2 win.
-
NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Victor Eklund got a five-minute major in San Jose for running Kiefer Sherwood into the boards. The play is under review, so a call from the league could follow.
-
EDMONTON OILERS: Devon Levi shut the door on the Rangers Monday night as the Oilers won 3-1 at home. Edmonton got the goaltending when it needed it.
-
Should the Lightning trade Nikita Kucherov before the deadline if he won't commit to a plan?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Connor McDavid's assist streak hangs on a scoring call
