The Buffalo Sabres have never enjoyed much success trying to slow down Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, who's scored 56 points (23 goals and 33 assists) in 43 career games against the club from Western New York.
So, while there may have been some initial excitement after Kucherov requested a trade from the Bolts, it's quickly becoming clear the two-time Hart Trophy winner may not be leaving the Atlantic Division.
RG's Daria Tuboltseva reported Kucherov is looking for an opportunity to play alongside another elite player, including two options inside the Atlantic: the Boston Bruins' David Pastrnak and Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews.
"He wants to be the top scorer every year and play on a team with [Connor] McDavid or Matthews or Pastrnak, plus in a big market, so people talk about how good he is," a source told Tuboltseva. "Playing in Florida, people forget about you from time to time."
The source described Toronto as the "more realistic option," while also noting the Leafs may have to wait until Kucherov becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer rather than trying to make an in-division trade with the Lightning.
In addition, the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens have also been speculated as potential landing spots for the 33-year-old Russian superstar. The Wings are seeking a solution to the Dylan Larkin mess, while the Habs have been trying to find one more high-end player.
The Sabres could use another top-tier scorer in their own right, but so far there's been no indication they'll land on Kucherov's 10-team trade list.
Getting him out of the Atlantic, which is once again shaping up as the NHL's toughest division, would provide a boost to Buffalo's chances of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second straight season.
Based on the information so far, it's far from a guarantee that'll be the outcome, though.
Sabres struggling to generate interest from high-profile NHL trade targets
Buffalo had a chance to land former Winnipeg Jets cornerstone Connor Hellebuyck before he was traded to the New Jersey Devils, but general manager Jarmo Kekalainen never appeared keen to overpay for a 33-year-old goalie coming off a career-worst season.
Beyond that, the Sabres have failed to garner acceptance from potential marquee additions.
Since Kekalainen took over the front office last December, the Blue and Gold have saw St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko use his no-trade clause to block a move to Buffalo, a bid to land his Blues teammate Robert Thomas come up short, a failed push to sign Patrick Kane in free agency and Larkin so far refusing to add the club to his list of preferred destinations amid his trade request.
It's a frustrating trend for an organization that probably needs more star power — ideally a true No. 1 NHL center — to seriously compete with the league's elite.
Buffalo isn't a stranger to being overlooked, of course. It operates in a small market with less-than-ideal winter weather and high taxes, and players aren't going to immediately forget about the record-setting 14-year postseason drought the franchise finally ended last season.
Yet, the Sabres were hoping their fourth-place finish in last year's standings combined with reaching the second round of the playoffs would at least boost their stock in the eyes of potential targets. So far, that hasn't been the case outside of Hellebuyck.
It raises questions about how Kekalainen and Co. are going to find the missing pieces. The obvious answer is finding impact players who are under contractual control without no-movement clauses, but that's become such a small group, and in most cases they're not available on the trade market.
Buffalo will surely continue to survey the landscape for possible solutions leading up to this season's trade deadline, but getting a meaningful move across the finish line won't be easy.
The Sabres' original bet on the internal improvement of young players may be the only path forward, at least in the short term.
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