Maple Leafs Handed Reality Check on Nikita Kucherov Trade Talk

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been linked with a potential trade move for Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov after the 33-year-old Russian reportedly requested a trade in recent hours. “It was never about the money for me. It was more about poor communication and respect,” Kucherov said, according to comments published on the NHL’s official website. Some Maple Leafs fans are excited about the prospect of adding an elite player like Kucherov to head coach Jim Hiller’s roster.