Kucherov reportedly asks out; Lightning resist; Devils beat Vegas 5-2

A trade request meets a public refusal

Nikita Kucherov has requested a trade, ESPN reported Friday, confirming an earlier Sportsnet report. Tampa Bay’s response was emphatic: general manager Julien BriseBois said the Lightning have “no intention of trading Nikita.”

ESPN reported that contract negotiations remained far apart and that Kucherov told teammates of his decision Friday. He is 33 and in the final season of an eight-year, $76 million contract carrying a $9.5 million annual cap hit. His agent, Dan Milstein, declined to discuss the matter publicly beyond expressing his support for the player.

The timing gives the disagreement weight. Kucherov has 15 points through 12 games, and Tampa Bay is 8-3-1. A team trying to contend would be surrendering an essential offensive player if it moved him. Keeping him preserves that attack while leaving the contract question unresolved.

A reported request and the club’s stated intention can both be true. BriseBois addressed what Tampa Bay plans to do; his statement did not settle the reporting about what Kucherov wants. The next material developments will be a change in either position, an extension or an actual transaction.

Devils 5, Golden Knights 2: four unanswered goals

New Jersey beat Vegas 5-2 behind two goals apiece from Arseny Gritsyuk and Jack Hughes. Connor Hellebuyck made 19 saves, Luke Hughes also scored, and the Devils improved to 9-5-0 with their fifth victory in six games.

The important response came before the first intermission. Vegas took a 2-1 lead on Ivan Barbashev’s goal at 17:57. Gritsyuk tied it 54 seconds later. Instead of carrying a deficit into the dressing room, New Jersey started the second period even.

Jack Hughes put the Devils ahead at 3:49 of the second by skating through three defenders. Gritsyuk scored again at 18:16, finishing his own rebound. Hughes’ empty-net goal at 17:09 of the third completed a run of four unanswered New Jersey goals.

The sequence explains the result: an immediate answer to the Vegas lead, two second-period goals and a protected advantage in the third. Hellebuyck has won both of his first two starts for New Jersey. Friday’s win followed the Devils’ Wednesday loss in Colorado and restored the momentum of their strong recent stretch.