Five teams will not be in on Nikita Kucherov trade, per report

Nikita Kucherov has five teams that won't be in on a trade, per Mike Bartner, and the Lightning star's market just got smaller.

The Canucks, Flames, Jets, Flyers and Blue Jackets are off the board. That reads as a list of destinations Kucherov isn't headed to, and it matters before any real bidding starts.

Tampa Bay still holds the cards. The Lightning have said they have no plans to move him, as laid out in Nikita Kucherov trade talk shut down by Julien Brisebois, even after the winger asked out.

Kucherov isn't a player in decline. He has 15 points through 12 games this season, with 4 goals and 11 assists, and he's a +2.

The contract adds pressure on both sides. His cap hit is $9,500,000, the deal runs through 2026-27, he becomes a UFA at expiry, and no extension has been signed.

Bartner noted that these five teams will not be in on Kucherov.

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Start with Vancouver, which is 32nd in the NHL at 3-11-1 with a goal differential of -23. A team that far down the standings has no business chasing a 33-year-old winger on that salary, so this one is hardly a surprise.

Why Kucherov's shrinking trade market helps Tampa Bay

Philadelphia is 30th at 3-8-4 and has lost three straight. The Flyers have allowed 51 goals, and that's a roster with bigger problems than adding one star.

Calgary sits 24th at 6-7-0 but won 6-2 over Seattle on Friday night. Columbus is 28th at 5-6-0 after a 3-2 loss at Carolina on Thursday.

None of that looks like a contender shopping for a final piece. Fewer suitors means less leverage for anyone trying to force a deal, and that works in the Lightning's favor.

Kucherov has already reportedly turned down a deal, which Nikita Kucherov rejecting the Lightning's four-year offer covered Friday. The standoff has little room to breathe.

Three of the five teams play tonight. The Canucks host Toronto, the Flames visit Colorado and the Blue Jackets are in Dallas.

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