The Buffalo Sabres, just like the rest of the league, were probably shocked to hear the news that Nikita Kucherov was requesting a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Sabres, just like the rest of the league, probably wanted to call Julien BriseBois to see what it might take to get a trade done.
Unfortunately, for Jarmo Kekalainen and the Sabres, that call would be more of them just doing their due diligence because the chances of getting a trade done would be small. There would just be too many hurdles even though the player would be a perfect fit and exactly what they need.
Kucherov is arguably a Top 5 player in the NHL right now, even at 33 years of age. He is the reigning Hart Trophy winner, has had over 110 points in four straight seasons, and has averaged over a point per game in nine straight seasons that he has played.
Massive hurdles stand between the Buffalo Sabres and Nikita Kucherov
The Sabres adding a player of his caliber would completely transform this team and a line of him and Tage Thompson would be very tough for teams to defend. As good as the fit is, there would just be too many roadblocks to get a deal done.
It starts with the fact that Nikita Kucherov has a modified no-trade clause in his contract. He can provide a list of 10 teams to the Lightning that he would be willing to be traded to. While the Sabres have changed their perception around the league, Kucherov is probably going to want to play with a team closer to a Stanley Cup.
The next challenge is that if Kucherov were to include the Sabres on his list, the Lightning would not want to trade him in the division. The Lightning, even without Kucherov, is going to want to compete for a division title and the Stanley Cup this season. By trading him within the division, they make it much harder on themselves to achieve that.
Assuming Kucherov includes the Sabres on his list, and assuming BriseBois is willing to move him within the division, the trade package that the Sabres would have to offer would be astronomical. They are now not just including some of their younger players like Noah Ostlund, Jiri Kulich, or Konsta Helenius, but probably going to have to include a Zach Benson or Josh Doan.
If they were to include those players, they would want Kucherov to sign an extension, and the Sabres would have to offer something bigger than the four-year, $15 million per year contract he reportedly rejected from Tampa Bay.
Would the Sabres want to offer something bigger than that for a player who will be 34 years old next season? Possibly, as Kucherov is on another level, but it doesn't really fit with how they are building the roster.
Shortly after the news came out that Kucherov had requested a trade, Lightning's general manager Julien BriseBoise put out a statement that they "unequivocally have no intention of trading Nikita".
When reading between the lines, this means that they are not just going to give him away or trade him for an offer they don't believe to be fair. The Lightning are going to be patient and do what's best for their franchise, and in that case, the Buffalo Sabres just don't feel like the team that Nikita Kucherov will ultimately be traded to.
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