Jon Cooper and Brayden Point Respond to Kucherov’s Trade Request

“He’s my teammate, he’s my friend,” Brayden Point said when asked about Nikita Kucherov’s trade request after Tampa Bay’s shootout loss in Nashville on Saturday.

Asked whether the situation had distracted the team, Point said Tampa Bay had treated the game as normal business. He expected Kucherov to keep working hard, while declining to predict what would happen beyond their present time as teammates.

Jon Cooper’s assessment of Kucherov’s performance was similarly direct: “he came in tonight to help us win a hockey game.” The coach said the forward had given Tampa Bay a chance to win.

Both speakers also addressed the defensive problems behind the result. Point called for simpler play with a lead; Cooper identified avoidable rushes, a penalty and a faceoff miscommunication.

Kucherov finished with three assists in the 5–4 shootout defeat at Bridgestone Arena on October 31. He helped set up Tampa Bay’s goals by John Carlson, Jake Guentzel and Victor Hedman. Steven Stamkos scored Nashville’s tying power-play goal and its deciding shootout attempt after the Lightning had led again in the third period.

The responses followed Friday’s report that Kucherov had told Tampa Bay he would not re-sign and wanted to be traded. General manager Julien BriseBois subsequently said the club had no intention of trading him. Kucherov remains under contract for this season; a request does not mean a deal has been agreed.

Before Saturday’s game, Cooper had already argued that the club’s goals were unchanged. In remarks reported by Sportsnet, he said Kucherov was committed to the current team and cautioned against interpreting every turnover, show of frustration or coaching exchange as fresh evidence about the trade situation. Cooper also separated what Kucherov decides after the season from the work the Lightning still have in front of them.

Point’s position after the game remained immediate: “right now he’s a Bolt.”

Read the background to Kucherov’s trade request.