The hockey world was rattled when reports came out that Tampa Bay Lightning superstar and one of the most offensively talented players this century, Nikita Kucherov, handed in his trade request. And one particular Maple Leafs defenseman wants him to come to Toronto.
Darren Raddysh and Kucherov were teammates throughout the Leafs defenseman's three full seasons on the Lightning and after the news broke that the winger wants out of Tampa, he's already trying to get him up north of the border.
“You know, I’d open my arms pretty wide to have him join,” said Raddysh via Sportsnet. “But, yeah, to add him to this group would be awesome.”
It ultimately makes sense that Raddysh is the one that would be excited for him to join the Leafs. Just last season, during the 30-year-old's breakout year, Kucherov assists on 15 of Raddysh's 22 goals (all of which were primary assists), and nine of his 10 goals on the power play. They were linked so heavily together and they were a weapon that made the Lightning so dangerous last season.
But now after four consecutive first-round exits -- what are they, the Leafs? -- after appearing in the Stanley Cup Final, the Lightning are in a big of a plateau period. Kucherov is an unrestricted free agent next summer and must have seen his opportunity to leave and go to a new team. It might not be a better team but just a different dynamic.
Kucherov would instantly transform the Maple Leafs
As he would with every other team, Kucherov would push the Leafs' offense to a new height. Depending on what sort of player they would theoretically give up in this deal (or none if they were to sign him in free agency next summer), a forward group that featured Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Kirill Marchenko, and youngsters Gavin McKenna and Easton Cowan, in addition to Kucherov, would pose so much danger to the rest of the league Gary Bettman might try to intervene himself.
But it's clear that Kucherov has a high reputation among the players. Raddysh went on to talk about just how the locker room wanted to get to know what the reigning Hart Trophy winner does to make him so impactful on the ice. Even before the potential of Kucherov joining Toronto came up, his new Leafs teammates were instantly asking Raddysh about the eventual Hall-of-Famer.
“Just hearing what the guys here talk about him and all the questions that they have about Kuch and the way he plays, he’s in his own world,” Raddysh said via Sportsnet. “Like, the season ends, and a week later he's on the ice two hours a day for the rest of the summer. And he just wants to be the best at everything he does.
“A perception everyone kind of has of him is, oh, he might be grumpy, or he might be angry at his teammates. But I think he just wants the best from each and every one. And I learned that pretty early on.
“If you're trying to do the right things, he's going to keep trying with you until you do it right. If you don't try, then he'll move on to something else or someone else. So, I think he just wants to be the best, and that's just how he operates.”
That sounds like someone that could do a whole lot of good for the Leafs on and off the ice.
We'll just have to see how this saga plays out but the NHL has never had a more interesting first month of the season when it comes to trades that may or may not happen.
Add us as a preferred source on Google