Lightning Nearly Lost Kucherov: Rival’s Offer Sheet Plot Could Have Changed NHL History
The Tampa Bay Lightning have been one of the most successful teams in the NHL over the last decade, and a lot of that can be attributed to Nikita Kucherov. While the Bolts have had a ridiculous amount of talent come through the organization during that time, none have been as impactful as Kucherov, who they somehow managed to snag in the second round (58th overall) of the 2011 draft.
With five 100-point seasons, three Art Ross trophies, two Stanley Cups, and a Hart trophy, it’s hard to imagine where Tampa Bay would be without him.
It turns out that it almost became a reality, as former Florida Panthers assistant general manager Steve Werier revealed they came very close to offer sheeting Kucherov during his stalemate with the Lightning when he was an RFA back in 2016.
Werier said:
“Yeah, so that was a fun one. Kucherov was a restricted free agent; he was offer sheet eligible, we were pretty confident, like everyone else, to sort of stick it to the in-state rival, who at the time had some pretty significant cap issues to deal with. It was a perfect storm, so to speak. I think it was about $7.14 million was the AAV, above which it was a first, second, and third-round pick as comp. So we were in the range of thinking that if we made an offer sheet, that might force Tampa’s hand… End of the day, we weren’t 100% certain that we could get the player,”
Kucherov wound up signing a three-year, $14.3 million extension with the Lightning just prior to the 2016-17 campaign, which was the start of his emergence into a true superstar.
Nikita Kucherov Was Also Close to Becoming an Oiler
As most fans know, this isn’t the only story about Kucherov nearly leaving Tampa Bay.
Jeff Marek also recently revealed that back in 2019, the Oilers and Lightning were having discussions about a blockbuster trade centered around Kucherov and Leon Draisaitl, in a deal that would have shaken the hockey world.
That, of course, didn’t come to fruition, though it just goes to show you that even the best players in the world’s situations aren’t always perfect.
No matter what, the Lightning have to be thankful that they didn’t give up on Kucherov after a slow start and playoff failures, because what came next were some of the best moments in franchise history.
Lions Do Not Activate Former Second-Round Pick, Ending Season
The Detroit Lions did not activate a former second-round pick within his 21-day return to practice window, thus ending his season.
Defensive end Josh Paschal was listed as out for Thursday's game and was not activated from the Non-Football Injury list. Because he returned to practice Nov. 5, his 21-day window to return expired Wednesday.
NFL rules indicate that players have 21 days to return to practice while on an injury list, and if they do not return within that span then they revert back to their injury list for the remainder of the season. Paschal will officially be sidelined for the remainder of the year, and his 2025 season ends without an appearance in a regular season game.
This season was a pivotal one for the 2022 second-round pick, as he is in the final year of his rookie contract. He was originally placed on the NFI list ahead of the start of training camp, and recently revealed that it was because of back surgery.
Detroit was taking it slow with his recovery for precautionary purposes, but evidently didn't see enough to activate the defender prior to the expiration of the allotted time.
"It's a back (injury) is what it is, and there again, he is improving," Campbell said in late October. "We're trying to be smart and take it as far as we can. He's got a few more things to show us before we're ready to open the window for him to practice."
Injuries have been an unfortunate theme in Paschal's professional career. He missed most of training camp during his rookie season with a hernia, and has yet to play a full season. In 36 career games, Paschal has 62 combined tackles, five sacks, 12 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
The Kentucky product has an inspiring story, as he beat stage 3B acral lentiginous melanoma in his foot during his collegiate career and was a multi-year captain for the Wildcats.
Paschal was the 46th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Lions' draft class from that year also includes Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, Kerby Joseph and Malcolm Rodriguez.
Paschal was listed among five players ruled out and eight players ruled questionable in Detroit's final injury report prior to their Thanksgiving matchup with the Green Bay Packers. Two key defenders were ruled questionable, as both Marcus Davenport and Terrion Arnold could return to action Thursday.
