AP
Jets Lightning Hockey
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov, right, waves to the crowd after a video presentation for Kucherov becoming the Lightning's all-time leading scorer during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Tampa, Fla.
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Reigning NHL MVP Nikita Kucherov has informed the Tampa Bay Lightning he is not re-signing with them and asked them for a trade, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Kucherov is set to be an unrestricted free agent after this season, the last of an eight-year, $76 million contract signed in 2018 before he helped Tampa Bay win the Stanley Cup
