Maple Leafs speak Kucherov commerce risk after win over Canucks

VANCOUVER — Darren Raddysh was having fun with a pleasant breather after Friday’s intense Toronto Maple Leafs follow at University of British Columbia when he was alerted to some huge information relating to a longtime teammate.

Nikita Kucherov — the Lightning’s all-time main scorer and reigning NHL MVP — had requested a commerce out of Tampa Bay, a dramatic step ensuing from a contract negotiation stalemate with GM Julien BriseBois.

“I thought maybe it was April Fool’s Day,” Raddysh advised A-Z Eventz Saturday, following a moderately mandatory 4-2 highway win over the Vancouver Canucks. “But, yeah, I understand how he’s, and I understand how Julien is. And in the event that they don’t need to come to one thing, that’s perhaps the way it’s going to go. 

“I wish nothing but the best for both of them, so hopefully, maybe they get something resolved. Or they move on. But we’ll see.”

The Elliotte Friedman bombshell of Raddysh’s outdated power-play pal wanting to maneuver on from the one membership he’s performed for has rocked the league and despatched rival GMs scrambling to see if there’s a approach to assemble a bundle and pry the six-time 100-plus-point dynamo out of Florida.

“Obviously shocks everyone. Don’t know, really, what’s going on there,” one other Bolt-turned-Leaf Nick Paul advised us. “I mean, yeah, just was shocked.”

Once the shock wears off, the work begins.

BriseBois states that he has no intention to commerce his 33-year-old cornerstone. Yet the 2 sides stay hundreds of thousands aside on an extension.

Kucherov’s agent, Dan Milstein, tweeted that it’s “unlikely” his consumer will observe the trail of Dylan Larkin and Connor Hellebuyck and cease suiting up for Tampa.

Coach Jon Cooper stated Kucherov “wants to be a part of this team for this season and he is committed to be with the group that loves him and the group he loves.”

The Russian star has an inventory of 10 groups to which he can approve a deal.

While the Leafs had been defeating the Canucks and Canadiens defeating the Penguins Saturday, Friedman reported that he believes each Canadian touchdown spots, that includes key Russians, can be thought-about by Kucherov.

The nice trick, in fact, can be compiling a commerce bundle enticing sufficient to persuade BriseBois to deal such a difference-maker to a divisional rival.

Of the 2 groups, Montreal has far and away a deeper and extra diversified cabinet of picks, prospects, and gamers to deal. The Canadiens have already got had curiosity in a Larkin blockbuster.

Toronto GM John Chayka hasn’t shied from blockbusters, although. His September swing of Matthew Knies–for–Kirill Marchenko was aided by Milstein, who labored an extension into the deal.

Chayka additionally made a robust pitch for Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski within the low season and has typically gone on file about his want to amass game-breaking expertise.

Never has a reigning Hart Trophy winner be traded in-season.

The Maple Leafs would want to shed a major chunk of their dedicated 2027-28 wage and half with what little is left of their minimal commerce items to make such a pie-in-the-sky transfer work.

“That would be unbelievable to get him. He’s easily one of the best players in the world. And the way he goes about his business, I think it would be awesome to have him,” Raddysh stated, smiling broad. 

“It’s hard to look into those things. You never know what’s really going to happen,” Paul added. “But, I mean, he’s a great player, and that’d be great.”

Captain Auston Matthews is only one the lots of the league’s elite who has lengthy admired Kucherov’s sport. The Russian has a status as your favorite participant’s favorite participant.

Raddysh performed components of 5 seasons, together with his breakout 2025-26, alongside the winger. And as soon as the defenceman joined the Leafs, his new teammates wished perception into the notoriously personal playmaker.

“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 stated. “Like, the season ends, and every week later he is on the ice two hours a day for the remainder of the summer season. And he simply desires to be the perfect at every thing he does. 

“A notion everybody form of has of him is, oh, he may be grumpy, or he may be indignant at his teammates. But I feel he simply desires the perfect from each one. And I realized that fairly 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.”

When Paul acquired traded from division rival Ottawa to Tampa in 2022, it was Kucherov’s work ethic that was most eye-opening.

“Just seeing him, what he does to be that player he is, what goes into that. He just works at it every single day,” Paul stated. “There is a reason why he’s that good.”

And a cause that Kucherov will receives a commission by one other workforce, if BriseBois doesn’t bridge the hole and up his provide.

“You know, I’d open my arms pretty wide to have him join,” stated Raddysh, most likely talking for Toronto and, oh, about 31 groups. “But, yeah, to add him to this group would be awesome.”

• Jim Hiller was requested if the Maple Leafs have discovered a constant id this season.

“No, no, no. I don’t think so. No, I think we’ve been inconsistent. Too inconsistent,” the coach replied. “We’ve had some great moments in games, and we’ve had some times where we just haven’t had a good pushback. So, that has to be addressed.”

• Hiller juggled three wingers in his prime 9 nicely earlier than the Saturday’s sport had reached the midway mark.

William Nylander was promoted to Matthews’ loaded prime line, whereas Gavin McKenna, Colton Sissons, and Dakota Joshua “were really effective,” on an on-the-fly unit that has by no means practised as a trio. 

“It’s probably the most Gavin’s had the puck in the O-zone in a game,” Hiller noticed. “It was harmful. So, actually just like the seems to be of that. 

“You get things mixed up a little bit coming out of different penalties. And once we got that going, looked like it worked pretty good. So, we stuck with it.”

The bruising Joshua led all skaters with seven hits and 5 photographs in his season debut. McKenna was tied for second on the Leafs with three photographs.

Toronto’s prime 9 stays in a everlasting state of flux with top-six staples John Tavares and Marchenko sidelined.

 “That’s a lot of minutes. It’s not just that you’re filling 10 or 12 minutes. Those are big minutes,” Hiller stated. “So, yeah, I don’t know that we’re completely settled with that yet.”

• If you’re an off-the-cuff hockey-watcher who can’t inform ahead Elias Pettersson and defenceman Elias Pettersson aside by their sweater numbers, concern not.

Elias Pettersson’s nameplate reads “PETTERSSON” whereas Elias Pettersson’s nameplate reads “E. PETTERSSON.” 

• Hiller grew up a Canucks fan in Port Alberni, B.C. In the ’70s, Hiller’s man was Chris Oddleifson, the franchise’s second-ever captain. Then Wayne Gretzky popped on the scene one province over, and Hiller was form of on the fence.

“I love being here. Friends, family, all that kind of stuff. I’ve got a lot of people in Vancouver that I know,” Hiller says. “First NHL game as a young guy, my dad brought me to the Pacific Coliseum. I remember that like it was yesterday.”

• About a 15-minute stroll from Rogers Arena lies a sports activities bar referred to as Malone’s. Every Thursday evening they provide away a free pair of lower-bowl Canucks tickets. 

To win stated tickets, you should write the identify of any Canuck, previous or current. Your hockey pseudonym have to be one among eight chosen. Then you should outlast the opposite fortunate seven in a correct faceoff event.

Yep, they’ve a faceoff dot painted on the bar flooring and a quiver of righty and lefty curves to select from. Brilliant contest. Way higher than a random draw or trivia.