Player Discussion: Nikita Kucherov

[2020 Cup Champions]

 

[These Are The Days]

Leadership.

Damn right. I can see why some people would have a thing or two to say about him venting to the Russian press but the fact he declared shenanigans and apparently raised holy hell with Yzerman in a face-to-face sit down is aces with me. Everything last year was a total debacle. No one -especially not him should have been okay with what happened last year and I'm thankful that we've got such a vocal player in the locker room.

It's such a welcome difference from the overwhelming complacency we saw in 2015-2016 as well as last year.

 

[Steazy Doo]

Damn right. I can see why some people would have a thing or two to say about him venting to the Russian press but the fact he declared shenanigans and apparently raised holy hell with Yzerman in a face-to-face sit down is aces with me. Everything last year was a total debacle. No one -especially not him should have been okay with what happened last year and I'm thankful that we've got such a vocal player in the locker room.

It's such a welcome difference from the overwhelming complacency we saw in 2015-2016 as well as last year.

Where did you see that?

 

[These Are The Days]

Where did you see that?

I had heard it on the radio that Kucherov's agent expressed that Kucherov and Yzerman had a sit down. I can only assume Kucherov raised hell and to be fair I think that's a safe assumption.

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

The TBT article linked above has the agent talking about the sit down between Yzerman and Kucherov in more measured terms.

I can see Kuch being straightforward and brutally honest with Yzerman, and Y being very open to input from his players, especially one as gifted and dedicated to excellence as Kucherov.

However, I don't see him (or anyone for that matter, lol) raising any issues in a way that might be disrespectful to Stevie Y. Not when we know the power of the fully operational Y-glare.

We are so fortunate to have such a talented and committed player as Kucherov!

 

[Todd1a]

That works on Johnny and palat even stamkos! Kucherov is a Russian robot it won't work on him lol

 

[Todd1a]

Even the stone cold assassin is not immune

Hum now I know why he has been in town this summer

 

[Steazy Doo]

I had heard it on the radio that Kucherov's agent expressed that Kucherov and Yzerman had a sit down. I can only assume Kucherov raised hell and to be fair I think that's a safe assumption.

Why? Lmao.

I'd bet he was very reserved as he usually is.

 

[Todd1a]

[/B]
Why? Lmao.

I'd bet he was very reserved as he usually is.

I would have raised hell about paying killorn last year! And keeping sustr another season !!!. Other question I have is what Tyler Johnson did we pay ? The 2015 johnson or 2016 and 2017 johnson?

 

[Steazy Doo]

He didn't "raise hell" in the media. He didn't "raise hell" in the locker room. But its a safe assumption he "raised hell" in Yzerman's office?

Todd dawg, there's absolutely no chance Kucherov went in there and questioned Yzerman on giving Killorn that contract. He could have talked about the lack of effort, but he's not going to insult the guys intelligence on player worth.

 

[DFC]

I had heard it on the radio that Kucherov's agent expressed that Kucherov and Yzerman had a sit down. I can only assume Kucherov raised hell and to be fair I think that's a safe assumption.

I cannot roll my eyes hard enough at this.

 

[The Macho King]

I cannot roll my eyes hard enough at this.

This - talk about a wild assumption.

 

[Rschmitz]

I think a few people here get caught up in the jealousy of what the other hfboard fans think instead of simply admiring our GM and player

 

[These Are The Days]

I cannot roll my eyes hard enough at this.

This - talk about a wild assumption.

The article literally says in the second paragraph that he talked with Yzerman and what I heard in the radio was a discussion about said article. What am I assuming? The context of their conversation? What is there to talk about? The price of tea in China?

Considering that that he didn't mince words the first time he spoke out about last year I doubt he didn't mince words with Yzerman either. Everything about last year was a debacle and it's clear from Kucherov's previous statements to the Russian press that he feels the same way. What was the sitdown about then? Yzerman saying "Nikita you can't do that?"

I don't care if they DID talk about the price of tea in China, I applaud Kucherov for going public the way that he did, even if it was to the Russian press instead of our own. I've been trying to say the same stuff for YEARS about the stink on this roster and it's about damn time someone on the team said it too. This is LITERALLY the entire reason I've been defending Jon Cooper. No coach is gonna win with a team like this and 2 years ago it was lectures on how freaking awful KFC+Stamkos was and I was quickly shut up by the addition of Drouin and an ECF run and last year we saw a redux of the very same complacency. Killorn was crap past October, Filppula was virtually useless outside of faceoffs and PK while literally being our #1 center due to injuries. Poor goaltending and the fact Palat and Johnson couldn't be bothered to wake up until it was too late was just icing on the cake.

 

[Sky04]

The article literally says in the second paragraph that he talked with Yzerman and what I heard in the radio was a discussion about said article. What am I assuming? The context of their conversation? What is there to talk about? The price of tea in China?

Considering that that he didn't mince words the first time he spoke out about last year I doubt he didn't mince words with Yzerman either. Everything about last year was a debacle and it's clear from Kucherov's previous statements to the Russian press that he feels the same way. What was the sitdown about then? Yzerman saying "Nikita you can't do that?"

I don't care if they DID talk about the price of tea in China, I applaud Kucherov for going public the way that he did, even if it was to the Russian press instead of our own. I've been trying to say the same stuff for YEARS about the stink on this roster and it's about damn time someone on the team said it too. This is LITERALLY the entire reason I've been defending Jon Cooper. No coach is gonna win with a team like this and 2 years ago it was lectures on how freaking awful KFC+Stamkos was and I was quickly shut up by the addition of Drouin and an ECF run and last year we saw a redux of the very same complacency. Killorn was crap past October, Filppula was virtually useless outside of faceoffs and PK while literally being our #1 center due to injuries. Poor goaltending and the fact Palat and Johnson couldn't be bothered to wake up until it was too late was just icing on the cake.

I bet you the conversation was professional and calm, I'm not sure why you think it'd be otherwise.

Oh and Kucherov wasn't crapping on the roster, I'm not sure how KFC was awful 2 years ago because they were great in 2015, so you were crapping on a 58 point Callahan, 48 point Filppula and a 38 point Killorn? What do you think these secondary scorers should be? All 60+?

Also not sure why you always bring up Filppula doing nothing last year when we've already proved you wrong (seems like you have some underlying hatred), he was actually great for the first couple months, produced at 50 point pace and got bumped up a slot due to injuries. You're mad because a #2/#3 center didn't produce like an elite #1?

 

[DFC]

The article literally says in the second paragraph that he talked with Yzerman and what I heard in the radio was a discussion about said article. What am I assuming? The context of their conversation? What is there to talk about? The price of tea in China?

Considering that that he didn't mince words the first time he spoke out about last year I doubt he didn't mince words with Yzerman either. Everything about last year was a debacle and it's clear from Kucherov's previous statements to the Russian press that he feels the same way. What was the sitdown about then? Yzerman saying "Nikita you can't do that?"

I don't care if they DID talk about the price of tea in China, I applaud Kucherov for going public the way that he did, even if it was to the Russian press instead of our own. I've been trying to say the same stuff for YEARS about the stink on this roster and it's about damn time someone on the team said it too. This is LITERALLY the entire reason I've been defending Jon Cooper. No coach is gonna win with a team like this and 2 years ago it was lectures on how freaking awful KFC+Stamkos was and I was quickly shut up by the addition of Drouin and an ECF run and last year we saw a redux of the very same complacency. Killorn was crap past October, Filppula was virtually useless outside of faceoffs and PK while literally being our #1 center due to injuries. Poor goaltending and the fact Palat and Johnson couldn't be bothered to wake up until it was too late was just icing on the cake.

When your opinion is challenged, usually because it's made on unfounded assumptions, you tend to write a two page post defending that assumption with other assumptions.

I sincerely doubt Nikita Kucherov walked into Steve Yzerman's office and was anything but professional. He may well have listed some concerns. It's just a big, huge, gigantic leap to call it "raised hell" without any evidence whatsoever.

 

[These Are The Days]

When your opinion is challenged, usually because it's made on unfounded assumptions, you tend to write a two page post defending that assumption with other assumptions.

I sincerely doubt Nikita Kucherov walked into Steve Yzerman's office and was anything but professional. He may well have listed some concerns. It's just a big, huge, gigantic leap to call it "raised hell" without any evidence whatsoever.

Raise hell is used to describe the fact that in that calm, professional manner he said anything but pleasantries about the previous season. If I'm guilty of anything it's hyperbole to describe the discussion because I'm joyed by his brutally honest assessment of the situation.

As for unfounded assumptions, all I can do is call things as I see them. My issue with the team isn't something you can prove on a stat sheet or box score. It's when Coop tries to do the same thing as last game in a 4-1 win and we come out either not trying, not caring or don't know how to get each other going. If you don't see a team with alarming chemistry issues and complacency then I don't know what to tell you man. It just means we see things differently. Kucherov didn't go public talking about some those same issues I've been writing 2 page posts (particularly in the fire Cooper thread) just to make me happy any more than I was making those posts based on unfounded assumptions.

 

[These Are The Days]

I bet you the conversation was professional and calm, I'm not sure why you think it'd be otherwise.

Oh and Kucherov wasn't crapping on the roster, I'm not sure how KFC was awful 2 years ago because they were great in 2015, so you were crapping on a 58 point Callahan, 48 point Filppula and a 38 point Killorn? What do you think these secondary scorers should be? All 60+?

Also not sure why you always bring up Filppula doing nothing last year when we've already proved you wrong (seems like you have some underlying hatred), he was actually great for the first couple months, produced at 50 point pace and got bumped up a slot due to injuries. You're mad because a #2/#3 center didn't produce like an elite #1?

Oh for God's sake I'm talking about 2015-2016 when Callahan had a whopping 10 goals and 28 points and half of those totals came in February. That year Filppula managed 8 goals and 31 points and Killorn was literally stapled to Stamkos doing the same thing then as he did last year that's got us assuming Kucherov was putting HIM on blast. What does high marks 2 years ago matter? We literally rode the TKO line until the NYR series when KFC and co finally woke up after their monthly slumber.

As for proof dude you linked me to an article written by Philadelphia press in a fluff piece making Filppula look good. He was so good for Philly that he was a ****ing -2. And in the same vein had a discussion about me saying "Most people wanted Point to go back into the AHL" cited a thread Matt brought into the discussion (that you apparently forgot about) with a poll made a MONTH before Point's injury that lasted a day and said "See! No one wanted him gone!" despite the fact Point played something like 10 more games and managed something like a single assist and looked terrible doing it. And then you went on some nonsensical "LOL Coop was too stupid to do anything about Filppula" post when he was literally the only NHL caliber center other than Namestnikov we had playing for us some nights due to Point, Johnson and Stamkos being out.

Get over yourself. I don't dislike Filppula for being a 3C not producing like a 1C I dislike him because it got to the point where his only usefulness was PK and faceoffs and was routinely being outshined by Boyle and he just outright stunk. An occasional ****ing goal would've been nice and we didn't get any of that last year outside of October. For all these years we lost game after game because the opposition managed to score twice and every person on this board knew that we were totally screwed with sometimes an entire period to go in a game, it was always Filppula (and Namestnikov) leading from the front in the "We're not going to score a goal" department because he was wondering around on the ice like a lost dog. The only time RECENTLY he came through for us was the game winner vs the NYR. Plain and simple Filppula overstayed his welcome. We already have role players, Sky and if you're gonna bust Callahan's nuts for being an overpaid $5.8 million winger that's essentially "useless" for whatever reason you have then it's no different in my application.

We needed EVERYONE to step up. And if you're gonna defend Filppula for scoring 3 goals in 32 games from November to March then you've got something going on that I don't know about. But hey, at least he was AT a 50 point pace for like 3 weeks right?


We literally rolled with rookie Point in place of Filppula and immediately started winning night in and night out because there was a player who actually had a clue about what he was doing on the ice. No matter what way you slice it, losing Filppula had ZERO negative impact on our team chemistry or scoring production and that's not a matter open for debate. If Filppula's intangibles still justified his roster spot then I know a winger on the mend from hip surgery who is dying for your emotional support./

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

The article literally says in the second paragraph that he talked with Yzerman and what I heard in the radio was a discussion about said article. What am I assuming? The context of their conversation? What is there to talk about? The price of tea in China?

Considering that that he didn't mince words the first time he spoke out about last year I doubt he didn't mince words with Yzerman either. Everything about last year was a debacle and it's clear from Kucherov's previous statements to the Russian press that he feels the same way. What was the sitdown about then? Yzerman saying "Nikita you can't do that?"

I don't care if they DID talk about the price of tea in China, I applaud Kucherov for going public the way that he did, even if it was to the Russian press instead of our own. I've been trying to say the same stuff for YEARS about the stink on this roster and it's about damn time someone on the team said it too. This is LITERALLY the entire reason I've been defending Jon Cooper. No coach is gonna win with a team like this and 2 years ago it was lectures on how freaking awful KFC+Stamkos was and I was quickly shut up by the addition of Drouin and an ECF run and last year we saw a redux of the very same complacency. Killorn was crap past October, Filppula was virtually useless outside of faceoffs and PK while literally being our #1 center due to injuries. Poor goaltending and the fact Palat and Johnson couldn't be bothered to wake up until it was too late was just icing on the cake.

I bet you the conversation was professional and calm, I'm not sure why you think it'd be otherwise.

Oh and Kucherov wasn't crapping on the roster, I'm not sure how KFC was awful 2 years ago because they were great in 2015, so you were crapping on a 58 point Callahan, 48 point Filppula and a 38 point Killorn? What do you think these secondary scorers should be? All 60+?

Also not sure why you always bring up Filppula doing nothing last year when we've already proved you wrong (seems like you have some underlying hatred), he was actually great for the first couple months, produced at 50 point pace and got bumped up a slot due to injuries. You're mad because a #2/#3 center didn't produce like an elite #1?

Raise hell is used to describe the fact that in that calm, professional manner he said anything but pleasantries about the previous season. If I'm guilty of anything it's hyperbole to describe the discussion because I'm joyed by his brutally honest assessment of the situation.

As for unfounded assumptions, all I can do is call things as I see them. My issue with the team isn't something you can prove on a stat sheet or box score. It's when Coop tries to do the same thing as last game in a 4-1 win and we come out either not trying, not caring or don't know how to get each other going. If you don't see a team with alarming chemistry issues and complacency then I don't know what to tell you man. It just means we see things differently. Kucherov didn't go public talking about some those same issues I've been writing 2 page posts (particularly in the fire Cooper thread) just to make me happy any more than I was making those posts based on unfounded assumptions.

Oh for God's sake I'm talking about 2015-2016 when Callahan had a whopping 10 goals and 28 points and half of those totals came in February. That year Filppula managed 8 goals and 31 points and Killorn was literally stapled to Stamkos doing the same thing then as he did last year that's got us assuming Kucherov was putting HIM on blast. What does high marks 2 years ago matter? We literally rode the TKO line until the NYR series when KFC and co finally woke up after their monthly slumber.

As for proof dude you linked me to an article written by Philadelphia press in a fluff piece making Filppula look good. He was so good for Philly that he was a ****ing -2. And in the same vein had a discussion about me saying "Most people wanted Point to go back into the AHL" cited a thread Matt brought into the discussion (that you apparently forgot about) with a poll made a MONTH before Point's injury that lasted a day and said "See! No one wanted him gone!" despite the fact Point played something like 10 more games and managed something like a single assist and looked terrible doing it. And then you went on some nonsensical "LOL Coop was too stupid to do anything about Filppula" post when he was literally the only NHL caliber center other than Namestnikov we had playing for us some nights due to Point, Johnson and Stamkos being out.

Get over yourself. I don't dislike Filppula for being a 3C not producing like a 1C I dislike him because it got to the point where his only usefulness was PK and faceoffs and was routinely being outshined by Boyle and he just outright stunk. An occasional ****ing goal would've been nice and we didn't get any of that last year outside of October. For all these years we lost game after game because the opposition managed to score twice and every person on this board knew that we were totally screwed with sometimes an entire period to go in a game, it was always Filppula (and Namestnikov) leading from the front in the "We're not going to score a goal" department because he was wondering around on the ice like a lost dog. The only time RECENTLY he came through for us was the game winner vs the NYR. Plain and simple Filppula overstayed his welcome. We already have role players, Sky and if you're gonna bust Callahan's nuts for being an overpaid $5.8 million winger that's essentially "useless" for whatever reason you have then it's no different in my application.

We needed EVERYONE to step up. And if you're gonna defend Filppula for scoring 3 goals in 32 games from November to March then you've got something going on that I don't know about. But hey, at least he was AT a 50 point pace for like 3 weeks right?


We literally rolled with rookie Point in place of Filppula and immediately started winning night in and night out because there was a player who actually had a clue about what he was doing on the ice. No matter what way you slice it, losing Filppula had ZERO negative impact on our team chemistry or scoring production and that's not a matter open for debate. If Filppula's intangibles still justified his roster spot then I know a winger on the mend from hip surgery who is dying for your emotional support./

FIRST BIG ANNOUNCEMENT AHL PLAYERS ON NHL TOO DEALS CANNOT GO TO OLYMPICS WHICH SUCKSSSSS lot of guys on syracuse could have went that might be the best highlight of their career so to me this is ULTIMATE fail by HOCKEY and NHL/AHL

Always sunny I really doubt that kucherov went off ever so to speak. HONESTLY HE WAS TRICKED by a writer from russia who asked the right questions to lead him to a point where he relived failure and responded in that moment and it got BLOWN the wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy hell out of proportion

next past is past cant be changed for all of us Hopefully team learned from this and uses that moving forward.

Kucherov is not the type to raise his voice to his hmmm senior's imho he just isnt that way from what ive heard related by others who do know things. So for him to get into stevies face so to speak is beyond doubtful because how he is geared as a person from russia etc..

So am sure they had a discussion and laughed it off both of them the fire is there if you read what his agent wrote etc.. it says a lot the respect is there through the roof.

Kucherov was pissed at failure and said a couple things he probably regrets that got taken way out of proportion yet am sure stevie felt same way and told him that.

Yet to think that kucherov a polite man by all accounts go to his idol father figure and yells or screams or does anything out side of be humble and discuss how he felt and why he said what he said? To me is laughable

 

[CupsOverCash]

Yea I don't see Kuch being unprofessional in a meeting with Yzerman. I'm sure they talked about what he said to the Russian media and anything else he wanted to get off his chest. Also Kucherov's agent said that they were on the same page as Yzerman. Last year was frustrating for all TB fans and organization. It's a new year and they should be hungry. Can't wait to see how they respond to missing the playoffs last season.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Yea I don't see Kuch being unprofessional in a meeting with Yzerman. I'm sure they talked about what he said to the Russian media and anything else he wanted to get off his chest. Also Kucherov's agent said that they were on the same page as Yzerman. Last year was frustrating for all TB fans and organization. It's a new year and they should be hungry. Can't wait to see how they respond to missing the playoffs last season.

they will respond by failing out of the gate and desperately trying to climb back into the race in feb/march/april, only to fall short again.

or i'm just a pessimist.

 

[These Are The Days]

FIRST BIG ANNOUNCEMENT AHL PLAYERS ON NHL TOO DEALS CANNOT GO TO OLYMPICS WHICH SUCKSSSSS lot of guys on syracuse could have went that might be the best highlight of their career so to me this is ULTIMATE fail by HOCKEY and NHL/AHL

Always sunny I really doubt that kucherov went off ever so to speak. HONESTLY HE WAS TRICKED by a writer from russia who asked the right questions to lead him to a point where he relived failure and responded in that moment and it got BLOWN the wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy hell out of proportion

next past is past cant be changed for all of us Hopefully team learned from this and uses that moving forward.

Kucherov is not the type to raise his voice to his hmmm senior's imho he just isnt that way from what ive heard related by others who do know things. So for him to get into stevies face so to speak is beyond doubtful because how he is geared as a person from russia etc..

So am sure they had a discussion and laughed it off both of them the fire is there if you read what his agent wrote etc.. it says a lot the respect is there through the roof.

Kucherov was pissed at failure and said a couple things he probably regrets that got taken way out of proportion yet am sure stevie felt same way and told him that.

Yet to think that kucherov a polite man by all accounts go to his idol father figure and yells or screams or does anything out side of be humble and discuss how he felt and why he said what he said? To me is laughable

Well like I said Rob, "raise hell" was just intentional hyperbole from me because when Kucherov spoke out in the first place it was almost like upsetting the establishment because issues within a locker room or issues a player has usually stays private and an article about how the Lightning and Kucherov are on the same page wouldn't have been done unless those same issues were discussed.

Whatever the case, I'm willing to wager that you (from a fan standpoint) know how Yzerman conducts himself better than anyone here and that he would understand frustration better than anyone. Especially after losing to the 8th seeded SJS, the NJD then Colorado in consecutive years before winning it all.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

Well like I said Rob, "raise hell" was just intentional hyperbole from me because when Kucherov spoke out in the first place it was almost like upsetting the establishment because issues within a locker room or issues a player has usually stays private and an article about how the Lightning and Kucherov are on the same page wouldn't have been done unless those same issues were discussed.

Whatever the case, I'm willing to wager that you (from a fan standpoint) know how Yzerman conducts himself better than anyone here and that he would understand frustration better than anyone. Especially after losing to the 8th seeded SJS, the NJD then Colorado in consecutive years before winning it all.

ive only seen yzerman mad really mad two times marty was biggest case lol he was pissed off hes even keel type of guy drive is there though always to win be best etc.. federov rubbed him wrong with new contracts got to almost marty level and per my sources he told detroit to get rid of him finally.

the locker room issue might have a lot to do with statement of guys who stayed too long from kucherov for sure so might not be sooo pointed to one guy ala killorn as per speculation but he got backed into corner by reporter he responded with angst maybe not anger got blown up tossed up etc..

im pretty sure with how both seem to role with life on ice etc.. they laughed this one off when met. They just are the ultimate competitors those that dont care sooo much on winning its hating to lose that drives them. The types of guys who will lose a limb to win and think nothing of it they have a lot in common to me.

both kinda cerebral assassins on the ice not vocal there or locker rooms as much as you would expect say yzerman labeled THE CAPTAIN to be. They lead by work ethic and what they do and both are raised with that humble part that they are not any bigger then themselves in the team picture and it takes it all to win.

Why the respect is probably as high as it could be. As I said im sure kucherov wishes could take back some or all of that article cause he is not like that as a person to throw under bus anyone. Yet he was pissed which is a great thing. Hopefully everyone is really nice and pissed all the time moving forward.

Having that edge is a good thing. Playing with it might take us to the glory this year

 

[Steazy Doo]

https://www.rawcharge.com/platform/amp/2017/8/18/16167252/translated-from-sovsport-ru-nikita-kucherovs-favorite-starting-lineup-two-swedes-stamkos-and-malkin

Kucherov interview. Interesting to note that he and Yzerman never brought up the comments from April.

Lysenkov: In June you had a meeting with Lightning GM Steve Yzerman about that epochal interview. How did it go?

Kucherov: Very well. No complaints or disagreements. No one mentioned that April topic. We were simply glad to see each other. We have a normal relationship, don't get any wrong ideas.

 

[Hoek]

I dunno. Still sounds like hell was raised.