Rumor: Nikita Kucherov considering return to KHL

[CherryToke]

Yzerman will call his bluff.

 

[Boxscore]

Why wouldn't he go play in the the KHL if he's not getting what he wants in the NHL?

Well there's always a chance. But it would have to be a big reason for him to go back to Russia, not the difference of a few bucks. Kucherov will be paid in the NHL what he rightfully deserves... but this will come down to:

A. How long Tampa let's this drag out?

B. Do feelings start to get hurt?

C. How bullish is Yzerman in getting Kucherov to give him a "hometown discount" like Stamkos did?

I don't see Kucherov pulling a Kovalchuk or Radulov - he doesn't seem like that 'type" of player at all. That said, I could see his agent putting pressure on him IF Tampa is reluctant to budge. At that point, the KHL could get VERY aggressive and a high-stakes game of chicken could develop, which isn't good for Tampa.

I believe the Bolts will sign him though - he's just too good to let go. They wasted no time inking Hedman to a monster deal and I assume Kucherov will get done.

 

[syc]

This rumour doesn't add up, I wouldn't be concerned Tampa fans.

Probably his sleazy agent planting a fake story.

 

[tjs*]

Not sure I agree with this position for a couple of reasons...

1. If you are platooning Bishop and Vasilevskiy, how will you really know if the kid can be counted on for a long period of time? You'll be playing him 2 games, then sitting him a few, etc. All that is is prolonging the inevitable and making the team play in front of a different goalie every other night just about.

2. If you (Tampa, aka Yzerman) has decided that Vasilevskiy is their tender of the future, I'd rather him workout his growing pains during the season - even if it means making it into the playoffs in the 5th spot - than waiting until March to hand him the keys and say, "ok, kid, now go win us a Cup."

3. If the platooning back and forth doesn't work and you decide to trade Vasilevskiy and keep Bishop long-term... re-signing Bishop to a multi-year, 6 million deal would be terrible asset management, considering you have an elite, young tender who would make 15% as much for a while. Tampa would be way better off using Bishop's money to keep their skating core in tact when you have a stud like Vasilevskiy waiting in the wings.

Bishop gives us by far our best chance of winning the Cup and this will be our last season before losing multiple key players to the cap and expansion next summer. We'll let Bishop walk in the offseason and turn the keys over to Vasy next year but trading Bish now makes zero sense unless the return is immense. We have other options to clear the cap space for Kucherov that don't involve losing our MVP a year before we have to.

 

[Metroid]

He's going to russia, have myself a special crystal ball that only tells me about NHL players bolting. Sorry , no lottery numbers.

 

[tjs*]

That said, I do think Tampa needs to start moving money so their hands aren't tied. After Kucherov... Johnson and ultimately Drouin will be priorities, no?

We'll need one move this offseason/early season to get under the cap and if we can ditch Filppula by the trade deadline that would be ideal; other than that I see most of our moves being made next summer. We need to clear cap space but we're also trying to win now so moving valuable players before what could be our best chance at a championship isn't a good plan.

As far as priorities are concerned Drouin is almost certainly going to be the top priority next summer. Right now we're looking at losing at least one top six forward at that time; it's a matter of much debate as to whether it will be Johnson, Palat, or Killorn as they all have good arguments both for and against.

 

[One Winged Angel]

Posturing, that's all. It seems like this happens with nearly every big name Russian player. Threaten to go play in the KHL, get better offers from NHL teams. Basic negotiating tactic.

 

[skyo]

I asked Mila Kunis out on a date.
Mila exploring the proposal.

Yeah good luck with that, Considering that her and Ashton are Married.

And good to know you have a thing for preggo chicks, ya'll gonna be a pops around thanksgiving. ha

--

Kucherov vs Kovalchuk the khl's version of Ovechkin vs crosby.

Yzerman/TBL should just pony up the extra mill per season already.

Kuch and Gaudreau both 7x7, I'd wager in a couple years they'd both be at least worth $7.5M per.

 

[Gavy]

But...but...he's a Leafs prospect. Don't you know that all Leafs prospects rank among the top players in the NHL at their respective positions, regardless of whether they've so much as touched a skate to NHL ice? Toronto's going to win a dozen Stanley Cups by the time they're all through.

[MOD]

Are you only here to crap on Leaf fans?

No way Kucherov is going to the KHL. This constant KHL rumour about any player with a European name who doesn't have a contract is so annoying and played out.
Hopefully Yzerman can convince Kucherov to take a team friendly deal with the incentive of being close to winning a cup. If Stammer and Hedman take discounts, Kucherov should be willing

 

[dechire]

Yeah I'm sure Kucherov is dying to return to the team that didn't give him any ice time and then refused to pay for his shoulder surgery. He did not leave on good terms and I doubt he wants anything to do with them now especially after Tampa paid for that same surgery even though they didn't have to.

 

[Butchered]

Kucherov isn't going anywhere. This is a tactic to get more money from TB, and it'll probably work. Kuch is gonna get paid. I'd flip for a Forsberg deal, but I wouldn't be mad at a 7X7 either.

Yzerman will get it done. Once Kuch is locked down, I think everything else (Bishop, Callahan, Flip) will get worked out

 

[Kshahdoo]

Yeah I'm sure Kucherov is dying to return to the team that didn't give him any ice time and then refused to pay for his shoulder surgery. He did not leave on good terms and I doubt he wants anything to do with them now especially after Tampa paid for that same surgery even though they didn't have to.

It's totally different people now in CSKA. Fedorov, Kvartalnov, others. And the team has become the 2nd richest in the KHL, so they can pay a lot, especially now, when Radulov isn't there anymore.

 

[seabass45]

Guy is a near lock for 30 goals in the regular season and is good for a PPG in the playoffs so he should hold out for 7x7. My guess is Garth is nagging Stevie on this one because the Isles still have a big hole at RW.

 

[Soltantgris]

Why no team offersheet him is mystery to me. 7.6M per x years would put SteeveY in a very bad spot. Let's say Habs sign him to an offersheet (after some magic ninja tricks getting Emelin and Desharnais off the book). If SY match the offer, he'd need trade some assets to make room. If he take the picks (2 first rounders, 1 x 2nd and 1 x 3rd), he weaken his team losing his best forward.

Win-Win for an eastern team (assuming the team would be a contender, so low value first round pick).

 

[Butchered]

A 7X7 will force cause for roster moves, too. Another 600k won't change anything.

There's no offer sheets because it's pointless. No team is going to go so high that they give up 4 firsts, and TB will match anything less.

 

[Oddbob]

I asked Mila Kunis out on a date.
Mila exploring the proposal.

Hey, she said she was exploring my proposal.

 

[Mikeaveli]

After his experience with KHL doctors I doubt he's seriously going back

 

[Lovethiscity]

I got two pages into this thread and read a lot of "it's a bluff" "it's a tactic", but the article doesn't speculate on Kucherov's intentions to go back. It just says they have the resources and incentive to make him an offer. So what's a bluff? The thread is titled Nikita Kucherov considering return to KHL so either I'm missing something in the article or op is deliberately misleading.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Assuming the issue isn't him wanting to leave the NHL, but him wanting a specific amount of money/term in his contract, him going to the KHL makes no sense. It makes sense as a card he could play in negotiation with Tampa, but wouldn't Tampa ultimately trade him to a team with the ability to sign him to his ideal contract for a big return rather than lose him to the KHL? Also in this situation, wouldn't Kucherov be amicable to the trade if he was fine with the team he was going to?

 

[KGL]

Sounds like a negotiating tactic to play a bit of hard ball with the Bolts. I'd be very surprised to see him leave.

 

[kasper11]

Why no team offersheet him is mystery to me. 7.6M per x years would put SteeveY in a very bad spot. Let's say Habs sign him to an offersheet (after some magic ninja tricks getting Emelin and Desharnais off the book). If SY match the offer, he'd need trade some assets to make room. If he take the picks (2 first rounders, 1 x 2nd and 1 x 3rd), he weaken his team losing his best forward.

Win-Win for an eastern team (assuming the team would be a contender, so low value first round pick).

A couple of reasons I can think of...

1) Kucherov would have to agree to the offer sheet. Maybe he likes it in TB. Maybe nobody is willing to pay enough to offset the tax advantage.

2) TB can match pretty much any offer, and likely would. They have $6.5M in cap space now, needing to sign Kucherov and Nesterov (and likely 1 more player to get up to 23).

Seems like a crunch, but Callahan is almost certain to start the season on LTIR, giving TB some cushion. There are lots of moves TB can make to get under the cap, and the Callahan injury gives them some time.

OTOH, maybe Kucherov doesn't agree to a deal with TB if you don't push him. Maybe there's a stalemate that keeps him out of the start of camp, and possibly even the beginning of the season. That may be better than helping TB to get him signed.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Why no team offersheet him is mystery to me. 7.6M per x years would put SteeveY in a very bad spot. Let's say Habs sign him to an offersheet (after some magic ninja tricks getting Emelin and Desharnais off the book). If SY match the offer, he'd need trade some assets to make room. If he take the picks (2 first rounders, 1 x 2nd and 1 x 3rd), he weaken his team losing his best forward.

Win-Win for an eastern team (assuming the team would be a contender, so low value first round pick).

You answered your own question. Most teams don't have nearly 8 million of free cap room, and it isn't as easy as "ninja" moves to clear up space. Even if a team wants one of those two players, few teams can take Emelin or Desharnais without sending back another contract.

Then if we are talking about dumping cap, look at what it has cost other teams to dump contracts this summer.

The cap almost went down this off season, it isn't easy to create cap space.

 

[Vatican Roulette]

A 7X7 will force cause for roster moves, too. Another 600k won't change anything.

There's no offer sheets because it's pointless. No team is going to go so high that they give up 4 firsts, and TB will match anything less.

I don't know about that, GM's are pretty stupid.

 

[Vatican Roulette]

A couple of reasons I can think of...

1) Kucherov would have to agree to the offer sheet. Maybe he likes it in TB. Maybe nobody is willing to pay enough to offset the tax advantage.

2) TB can match pretty much any offer, and likely would. They have $6.5M in cap space now, needing to sign Kucherov and Nesterov (and likely 1 more player to get up to 23).

Devils advocate:

Maybe an offer sheet hasn't been offered for him to sign.

Maybe Tampa views Drouin as a replacement in the top 6.

Maybe he wants to get paid like Tarasenko, or more.

---

In any event, I hope he signs soon. Don't want to see a talent like him not in the NHL.

 

[Kuzy 91]

Please, no. He would be a huge hit to Tampa's offense. Easily their best player in my opinion,