When the NHL was tired of hearing about the never-ending Dylan Larkin saga with the Detroit Red Wings, they were given something new in terms of shocking news. Tampa Bay Lightning winger and Hart Trophy recipient Nikita Kucherov requested a trade from the team over a lack of communication in contract talks. While Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said he doesn't plan on trading Kucherov, it does open the door for him to hit free agency on July 1.
For the Rangers, they have desperately been seeking out a superstar in recent years, but to no avail. With the Kucherov news, it does set them up for the chance to try and entice the winger to join them. However, they may have to worry about a rival team who has strong links to him.
That team is the New York Islanders.
Islanders could have advantage in acquiring Nikita Kucherov due to links
The last thing the Rangers need is another one of their rivals bringing in a superstar to improve their roster. The New Jersey Devils already did that by acquiring goalie Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets. Imagine if the Islanders landed Kucherov?
Why do the Islanders stand to have strong chances of acquiring Kucherov? Well, the Islanders' general manager is Mathieu Darche, who was with the Lightning in 2019 as their director of of hockey operations up until he left for New York in 2025. So, he already knows Kucherov, who he watched helped win Tampa Bay back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. So, it wouldn't be too hard for Kucherov to negotiate with him.
Then, there was the report from ESPN's Emily Kaplan that Kucherov is looking to team up with one of the league's top superstars. While names like Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid obviously stand out, Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer has already solidified himself as one of the top young stars in the NHL. The scary thing for Rangers fans is that he's only going to get better, and he's only in the midst of his second season. So, maybe he would be an enticing player for free agents to want to team up with.
Let's not forget that New York is a desirable destination for Russian players. The Rangers know just that, as they signed the likes of Artemi Panarin, Vladislav Gavrikov, and Pavel Dorofeyev over the years. Not to mention the Islanders have Russian-born players on the roster like Ilya Sorokin and Alexander Romanov.
Islanders might be in better position to make run at Nikita Kucherov than Rangers
The Islanders could very well be at an advantage in their pursuit of Kucherov.
First off, they have more cap space entering next offseason than the Rangers. The Islanders are set to have nearly $42 million in cap space, while the Rangers are set to have $34 million in space. The Rangers would have to fill four forward spots next offseason due to unrestricted free agents. And let's not forget that the Rangers still have to negotiate a contract extension with Gabe Perreault, and that might not come cheap.
Then, there's the fact that the Islanders have all of their draft picks over the next four years, so they have what it takes to pull off a sign-and-trade for Kucherov if that's the path they go down. As for the Rangers, they gave up three first-round picks this offseason to bring in Dorofeyev and Marcus Pettersson. So, they couldn't pull off a sign-and-trade unless they gut their pool of draft picks. Additionally, that's not counting the likelihood of the Rangers giving up more picks to bring in a goalie this season with Igor Shesterkin injured and if Joonas Korpisalo doesn't pan out as a starter.
If the Rangers don't have a serious chance at Kucherov, they better hope he doesn't end up in the Metropolitan Division. Unfortunately for them, the Islanders may have everything working in their favor for a potential pursuit.
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