Nikita Kucherov asked the Tampa Bay Lightning to trade him last week, and the Toronto Maple Leafs have been attached to the story ever since. Jay Rosehill, who played 48 games for Toronto, spent Tuesday morning explaining why he thinks none of it is going to happen.
He started with the price.
“I’m not saying Kucherov has missed the boat or anything, but I don’t think I’m willing to give him six years at $20 million. That’s just crazy,” Rosehill said on Daily Faceoff’s The Leafs Morning Take. “That’s gonna catch up to you sooner than later.”
Then he moved on to the cost of acquiring him in the first place.
“For what you’d have to give up to get him, he’s a special, phenomenal player, but I don’t see a fit for the Maple Leafs considering where the Maple Leafs show,” he said. “I don’t personally see it in the Leafs’ future whatsoever.”
Nikita Kucherov’s contract situation:
| Age | Current cap hit | Contract expires | Reported asking price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | $9.5 million | July 1, 2027 | $20 million over six years |
Will Nikita Kucherov sign with the Maple Leafs?
Co-host Nick Alberga thinks the question is being asked about the wrong mechanism entirely. His argument is that a player of that age and price only makes sense for a club with a closing championship window, and he doesn’t believe Toronto has one.
“It’s got to make sense for a team that’s ready to win a Stanley Cup. I don’t think the Leafs are ready to win a Stanley Cup. I don’t think they’re anywhere close to winning a Stanley Cup,” Alberga said.
What he can picture is a different route, and one that wouldn’t involve Tampa Bay agreeing to anything.
“It’s got to fit in the window. I think it’s more likely, if this does happen, that it’s like a July 1st signing. He gets to market, and he’s like, ‘I’m going to Toronto,'” Alberga said. “But I don’t see a trade scenario.”
That matches what a separate report at RG.org suggested this week, which had Kucherov potentially waiting out his contract and arriving in Toronto as a free agent rather than being traded there.
Kucherov said on Monday that the request was never about money but about poor communication and respect, and that he had spoken to the club twice in four months. He has 18 points in 13 games and the Lightning have no intention of trading him.
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