Odds of Kucherov to the Oilers: If You Can't Be Them, Join Them

Nikita Kucherov is bent out of shape, and he's looking to be moved by the Tampa Bay Lightning. If a trade doesn't happen this season, it looks like he'll head to free agency and sign elsewhere, since the Lightning have burned a bridge with their superstar winger.

But where will he land?

Several teams would be interested. If the price is right and Kucherov is willing to work with the Oilers, they should talk. However, one insider believes that Edmonton is not a frontrunner among Canadian teams.

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Kucherov would be willing to play for Toronto or Montreal, provided either club puts together a package the Lightning like. “He is not opposed to playing in Canada,” Friedman said.

Others have shot down the likelihood of Toronto or Montreal being in the mix given they are in the same division as Tampa. However, that only rules out a trade. Signing in free agency is another story, and if Kucherov has a beef with Julien Brisebois and management, he might sign with the Maple Leafs or Canadiens out of spite. 

I know some readers will say this's a waste of time, and I'll admit the odds are low. However, from a glass-is-half-full perspective, I'll maintain a stance I took when I first heard about Kucherov's trade request: Why not the Oilers?

But I will preface this by acknowledging that it depends on what Kucherov prioritizes. 

“It was never about the money for me,” Kucherov told media members Monday in Tampa Bay. When asked why he wants out, he responded. “It was more about poor communication and respect. The last four months, we’ve had two conversations. Julien made it clear that I’m free to walk on July 1.”

How much of the money part of his comments is true remains to be seen. There are indications that he's not lying. And if he makes it to free agency, the Oilers theoretically stand as good a chance as anyone, maybe better. 

“He wants to be the top scorer every year and play on a team with McDavid or Matthews or Pastrnak, plus in a big market, so people talk about how good he is,” a source told RG.org this week.

If true, Edmonton suddenly becomes quite attractive. 

The Oilers have McDavid, but they also have Leon Draisaitl as a Plan B. That's good company, and Kucherov has said he wants to play with smart hockey players—more specifically, he's annoyed by how many "dumb" players there are in the NHL. He's driven to be among the best, and the fact that the Lightning aren't treating him as such is what's irked him to the point that he's looking to leave.

If Kucherov wants to be in the conversation with the absolute best, playing with them helps. If you can't be them, join them. 

Former teammate Steven Stamkos commented on the Kucherov trade chatter. He understands where the player is coming from, given that he was in Kucherov's shoes once. He also knows the player's drive is almost unmatched. 

This is not an ordinary NHL star content with being seen as even one tier lower than the best in the game. 

"After we won the second Cup in Tampa, a bunch of guys came over to my house after, it was like 3 or 4 in the morning, we had the Stanley Cup, and he (Kucherov) was talking about McDavid and MacKinnon, and he thought they were in this like huge tier above him and he wanted to get into that tier.

"It's just someone that is never satisfied. If you don't really know Kuch, sometimes that doesn't come across the best way because we could win a game, he could have two or three points, and it still doesn't look like he's happy.

Kucherov's agent, Dan Milstein, essentially confirmed the story. "Driven by perfection, he makes everyone around him better…" he commented when reading the article on social media. 

So, if Kucherov wants to be seen as unequivocally among the best in the game, one way to get there is to play with the best in the game. Aligning with McDavid has its benefits, as many players who have played with and for the Oilers already know. 

The Oilers don't have the wherewithal to give Kucherov the $20 million per season over six years he's reportedly asking for. But, if he's willing to move on that a little -- which he suggests he is -- there's no reason to exclude the Oilers from the conversation. 

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