Check out the latest proposed destinations for Nikita Kucherov and the latest on the Penguins in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST ON NIKITA KUCHEROV

NHL NETWORK: Elliotte Friedman noted that we haven’t heard yet from Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois about Nikita Kucherov’s comments explaining his trade request and rejection of a new contract.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov told reporters Monday that it wasn’t about the money, saying a lack of communication and respect from BriseBois were the main factors. Two days later, agent Dan Milstein said negotiations with the Lightning GM went “horribly wrong,” and the relationship was likely “beyond repair”, adding it was probably time for his client to move on.

BriseBois stated on Oct. 30 that the Lightning had no intention to trade Kucherov, but he’s avoided responding to their remarks.

Friedman reiterated that this isn’t a negotiating ploy by the Kucherov camp. After speaking with people who know the 33-year-old Lightning winger well, they believe he’s serious about not returning to Tampa after this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: BriseBois isn’t getting into a public pissing contest with Kucherov, especially if (as some believe) he thinks the superstar winger could change his mind over the course of the season. It’s better to maintain silence publicly while quietly maintaining communication with Kucherov’s camp.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski published his list of potential trade or free-agent destinations for Kucherov. They include the Montreal Canadiens, Utah Mammoth, the Vegas Golden Knights, the Dallas Stars, the New York Rangers, and the Chicago Blackhawks. However, he didn’t rule out a reconciliation between Kucherov and the Lightning.

SPORTSNET: Michael Amato considered the Carolina Hurricanes, Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, and Washington Capitals as the most interesting landing spots for Kucherov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No one knows what teams are on Kucherov’s 10-team trade list. Some of them could be the ones on these lists. However, these proposed lists won’t matter if BriseBois maintains his position that he’s not peddling the high-scoring winger.

That could change if the Lightning are struggling before the March 1 trade deadline, or if a rival club makes an offer too good to refuse. For now, however, we can only go by what we know, which is BriseBois’ unwillingness to trade Kucherov.

PENGUINS WILLING TO SELL SOON

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski cited Elliotte Friedman’s recent report claiming the Penguins could be ready soon to become sellers in the trade market.

Appearing on Toronto’s Fan 590, Friedman said he believed trades could happen for the Penguins “pretty quickly.” He believes it depends on what they’ll do with players who have no-trade protection, and whether general manager Kyle Dubas gets a certain level of return.

Forwards Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell and defensemen Eric Karlsson and Kris Letang have some form of no-trade protection. The outlier is winger Bryan Rust.

It’s believed Dubas has set high asking prices on players like Rakell and Rust. Friedman claims he wants high draft picks or prospects ready to step into the lineup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moving those players usually takes time to pull off in the salary-cap era. However, the rise of the salary cap for this season has given teams more cap space to work with, resulting in a busier-than-usual opening month in the trade market.

Moving the salaries could be easier than before, but their respective no-trade clauses remain significant hurdles. The age and performance of the players will also affect their value. They’re all notable players, but some of them are past their prime.