Mathieu Darche and the NY Islanders will likely be inquiring about the services of Nikita Kucherov

After a summer of trade demands by some of the top players in the league, including Connor Hellebuyck and Dylan Larkin, last night we were hit with what is probably the most shocking of them all.

After failing to reach an agreement on a new contract, Nikita Kucherov, the reigning Hart Trophy winner, has requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team he has spent all 12 of his NHL seasons with.

Kucherov will continue playing for the Bolts for the time being, but it appears that at some point this season we'll see him in a new sweater for the first time.

Just about every General Manager in the league will be calling Julien BreisBois, inquiring what it'll cost to win teh Kucherov sweepstakes, with Mathieu Darche being one of them.

Before taking on the role of GM of the Islanders, Darche spent six seasons as the Assistant GM in Tampa, all with Kucherov part of the team. The two have a relationship dating back years, and Kucherov is the type of player the Isles are missing to take them to the next level.

The Islanders have been without a 100-point scorer since the 1992-93 season, when Pierre Turgeon finished with 132, while Kucherov has six under his belt, including a 144-point season in 2023-24.

The presence of Matthew Schaefer is enticing for any forward, but it may not be enough to convince Kucherov that Long Island is the right place for him. He's 33 years old, and despite having two Stanley Cup rings, he'll want to be with an organization ready to contend for another immediately.

Then there's the cost for the Islanders. They've finally rebuilt their prospect pool and will need to deplete it once again just to be in the running, and typically a 33-year-old isn't the type of player you do that for, not to mention the $20M-a-season contract he'll be looking for. But then again, he is Nikita Kucherov.

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