Reigning NHL MVP Nikita Kucherov blamed "poor communication and respect" as the reason he requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Kucherov, who will be an unrestricted free agent in July, made the shocking request last week, saying he wouldn't re-sign with the team. He informed his teammates on their flight to Nashville.
"It was never about the money for me, more poor communication and respect," he told reporters on Monday, Nov. 2, in his first comments snce the news broke. "Over the last four months, we've only had two conversations and (general manager Julien BriseBois) made it clear that I'm free to walk on July 1st."
The Lightning had no comment on Kucherov's remarks, referring back to BriseBois' statement on Friday, Oct. 30 that the
GM "unequivocally" had no intention of trading the franchise's all-time leading scorer.
Nikita Kucherov said that his trade request was a result of “poor communication and respect.”
— Eduardo A. Encina (@EddieInTheYard) November 2, 2026
“It was never about the money for me.”
Said that JBB had just two conversions with him during the last four months.#gobolts pic.twitter.com/q9xzTCRa02
Kucherov has won two Hart trophies as MVP, plus three league scoring titles. He led the playoffs in scoring during the Lightning's championship runs in 2020 and 2021.
Asked if there was a way he could be back with the team next season, he said, "I made my request."
The high-scoring winger averages $9.5 million in his eight-year contract. Salaries recently have shot up with Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar becoming the NHL's first $20 million-a-year player.
"Nikita loves his teammates and Tampa, where he won two Stanley Cups and three of his children were born," Kucherov's agent, Dan Milstein, said on social media on Monday. "He has a great relationship with (coach) Jon Cooper and wished he could have stayed, but negotiations with management did not work out and he will be moving on."
Kucherov didn't want to reveal how teammates reacted to his news. Players had commented on Saturday, Oct. 31 with captain Victor Hedman caling it "a tough day."
Said center Brayden Point: "That's his business. He's my teammate. He's my friend. That's how I'll treat him."
Kucherov had three assists in his first game after his request.
"While I'm here, I'll do everything I can to help my teammates," he said Monday.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lightning star Nikita Kucherov reveals reasons for making trade request
