Comparable Cape: Kucherov cash, but do not break the bank

The Tampa Bay Lightning locked up star winger Nikita Kucherov in a $ 76 million over eight-year extension on Tuesday.

The agreement, which locks the 2019 call for applications to come during the 2026-27 season, is not at all surprising. Of course, $ 9.5 million is a hefty price – $ 1 million more per year than the average annual value of Captain Steven Stamkos – $ 8.5 million – but Kucherov is worth every penny and could probably have gotten still more. To put things in perspective, just look at the list of league leaders in the last two seasons: Connor McDavid is the only player in front of him in points, and Kucherov posts a $ 3 million milestone less than that Oilers. captain.

"about 1 year ago, j I said publicly that Nikita was not trying to break the bank, he was looking for a good deal, but he was also giving Tampa the opportunity to sign other players, "said Dan Milstein, Kucherov's agent. at the Jeff Blair Show on Tuesday. "In my opinion, and in the opinion of Nikita, and I think Steve Yzerman would also agree, it's a good deal for both parties." I saw signatures and, of course, we could have asked for more, but what was important for Nikita was to come back on the ice and win the Stanley Cup. He wants, it's winning the Stanley Cup. "

Does this affect the Lightning's chances of landing (and extending) Erik Karlsson? As Chris explains. Johnston of Sportnet, it is the opposite, because the Lightning is "still very present" in the commercial negotiations of Karlsson.

"They can even be the favorites, according to whom you trust in that", Johnston said on the air Tuesday. "If anything, this Nikita Kucherov signature gives Steve Yzerman more certainty about what res will appear his chart for years to come, and not do this job to guess what he will have to pay to Nikita Kucherov next summer. So the real benefit of this is that they are even more on Karlsson rather than on the race after giving this big contract. "

There are many comparable – prouction-wise, Kucherov Vladimir Tarasenko ($ 7.5 million per year) and Ryan Jones ($ 8 million a year), the Predators striker, also achieved similar results:

Jamie Benn (eight, $ 76 million, 9.5 million hat-trick)
Kucherov's contract is identical to Benn's signature with the Stars two summers ago, at about the same age Benn, 28, played nearly twice the number of seasons in the NHL as Kucherov, but his statistics are very similar if we consider the last five years since the Tampa winger has entered the league. Benn has scored 172 goals and 403 points since the 2013-2014 season, while Kucherov has 147 goals and 334 points of constant improvement.

Claude Giroux (8 years old, $ 66.2 million, $ 8.275 million hat trick)
Giroux signed his $ 66.2 million contract in eight years in 2013 at the time. age 25, the same age as Kucherov. The history of the two players' contracts is similar, as both approached the end of the affordable three-year contracts when they signed their extension (Kucherov still has one year with a cap of 4.67 million dollars)

Steven Stamkos (eight, $ 68 million, 8.5 million hat)
Remember how crazy Stamkos Watch was? Yzerman cut all that by signing Kucherov, who will not even sniff the free agency until 2027. Kucherov's price is $ 1 million more a year than his captain – which makes him the highest paid player of the team – has led the team in goals and points during each of the past three seasons. How fun will it be to see these two people together on the ice for the next six years?

So who's next?

Kucherov, of course, was one of many free agents waiting (RFAs) and UFA) eligible for a new agreement this summer. Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine are among the brightest young stars in the league, ready for their biggest payday as they prepare for the final year of entry-level contracts, but here are some more comparisons. relevant with Kucherov.

Tyler Seguin
The 26-year-old Dallas center player has three seasons of experience on Kucherov, but has a similar output, Kucherov exceeding Seguin's points total in each the last two seasons. Although they play different positions, with Seguin in the center and Kucherov on the wing, it would not be surprising to see the Stars sign their top scorer four of the last five seasons to a similar deal, matching the contract given to his threesome partner Jamie Benn two years ago.

Artemi Panarin
Panarin, 26, brightened the league as a rookie three seasons ago with the Chicago Blackhawks, and did not slow down. The Russian left winger and the pending UFA 2019 will surely make a significant recovery once his two-year contract of $ 12 million expires after the 2018-2019 campaign, but the big question is who will you get the check? Panarin said earlier this season that he's not ready to engage in a long-term deal with the Blue Jackets right now as he does not know his He wants to play his first in Columbus. He is preparing to be a dead season of commercial rumors for Panarin. Kucherov's place in the league is better established, but Panarin's production over the course of three seasons should see him join the top echelon of the NHL's contracts

Mark Stone
Buried in the middle Erik Karlsson Mark Stone a new contract (Matt Duchene, too, who will be a UFA next July). Stone may well be one of the best deals in the league at the moment, earning only $ 3.5 million in each of the past three seasons, while posting steadily strong numbers in a team that lacks consistency right now. The elite front runner has reached the plateau of 20 goals in each of the past four seasons, reaching 60 points or more in three of them. He filed an application for arbitration, but the Senators would be well advised to lock him up in a long-term agreement (probably a little less) than Kucherov's contract.