After a 100-point season, the Tampa Bay Lightning have extended the contract of Nikita Kucherov for eight more years and ensured elite right winger will stay with the organization for the next nine seasons. Kucherov was set to earn $4,766,667 in 2018-19 and that salary will jump to $9.5 million per season until 2026-27.
The deal was announced by Kucherov’s agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey on Twitter and it was followed by an official announcement by the Lightning.
Kucherov said of the announcement. "I'm truly grateful to sign this contract extension to keep me in Tampa for the next eight seasons today. I'd like to thank the Lightning organization and all of the fans for the support since making the Bay Area my home."
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The extension comes in the midst of rumors the Tampa Bay Lightning are actively trying to trade for star defenseman Erik Karlsson. One of the questions surrounding that potential deal was how the franchise might fit both Karlsson and Kucherov into the team's salary cap knowing both would be expensive players to re-sign. Karlsson is speculated to be seeking somewhere around $11 million per season and Kucherov, if he'd had another strong year, could come in around the same. Signing Kucherov now means the Lightning don't risk his value going even higher and this extension locks up the team's most offensive weapon while giving the organization a solid idea as to what they can afford and not afford for the summer of 2019 when Karlsson requires a new contract.
During the 2017-18 NHL season, Kucherov recorded 39 goals and 100 points along with a plus-15 rating, eight power play goals and seven game-winning goals. He ranked third in the NHL for points — behind only Connor McDavid and Claude Giroux —, sixth for assists and tied for ninth for goals. He will become Tampa Bay's highest paid player.
Kucherov, 25, has played 365 career NHL games, all with Tampa Bay, and registered 147 goals, 334 points, 39 power play goals and 23 game-winners. His 100 points during this past season were a career best and since the 2016 season, his 185 points place him second in the entire NHL. If a team is going to spend $9.5 million per season on a player, these are the kind of numbers that deserve to fetch such a payday.