Check out all the latest on Nikita Kucherov, Dylan Larkin, and Simon Edvinsson in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

POTENTIAL TRADE DESTINATIONS FOR NIKITA KUCHEROV

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports on what led to Nikita Kucherov’s decision not to re-sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning and his subsequent trade request.

When negotiations began, Kucherov was initially looking for something similar to the $17 million average annual value being earned by Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov, which at the time was the highest salary in the league. However, the Leo Carlsson offer sheet by the Philadelphia Flyers changed everything.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images)

Friedman thinks the pace of the negotiations, rather than the money, was the deciding factor. He thinks the lack of pace in those talks upset Kucherov, leading to his decision. Friedman also acknowledged the Lightning’s statement claiming they’re not trading the reigning Hart Trophy winner.

Many teams believe that to be true. The Lightning hope the situation will stabilize and Kucherov changes his mind. However, those who know the superstar winger say once he’s made up his mind, he rarely changes it.

Kucherov has a 10-team trade list. Friedman said he couldn’t find out which teams are on it, but he believes if the Montreal Canadiens or Toronto Maple Leafs could come up with a trade package that the Lightning liked, they would be two teams among many that he would consider.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Eric Cruickshank suggested the Canadiens, Dallas Stars, and Utah Mammoth as potential destinations for Kucherov.

THE SCORE: Sean O’Leary included the Canadiens, Stars, and Mammoth on his list of five possible landing spots for Kucherov. The others were the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Just because these teams are mentioned doesn’t mean any of them are on Kucherov’s trade list. For now, it’s a guessing game until we get more definitive word on his preferred destinations.

The Canadiens are commonly mentioned because they’re a rising young team with plenty of promising young assets to use as trade bait. They’d have to move out some salary to comfortably take on the remainder of his $9.5 million cap hit for this season.

The Habs have $29.7 million in projected cap space for 2027-28 with 14 active roster players under contract if they prefer to wait until next summer to sign Kucherov as a free agent. There’s enough to meet his rumored asking price of $20 million, but it would blow up their current salary structure and could make it difficult to fill out the remainder of their roster with suitable assets.

The Hurricanes and Mammoth wouldn’t have to shed as much salary in a Kucherov trade. Like the Canadiens, they have plenty of promising young assets to draw on and they each have over $26 million in projected cap space for next season. However, signing him could complicate efforts to fill out their respective rosters, though perhaps not as much as it might for the Habs.

Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun believes it would be a “slim off-chance” of Kucherov getting traded to Toronto. He felt it would cost the Maple Leafs much more than Easton Cowan and the Colorado Avalanche’s first-round pick to land Kucherov, suggesting it would instead be William Nylander (who has a full no-movement clause) or perhaps Kirill Marchenko.

The Stars could pull it off if they offered winger Jason Robertson for Kucherov. The 27-year-old winger is also UFA-eligible next summer, and the Stars might consider moving him if he remains unsigned before the March 1 trade deadline.

The Golden Knights are usually in on most big-ticket players who surface in the trade market. However, they’re strapped for cap space this season and next, plus they don’t have many tradeable assets. We can never rule them out, of course, but they seem the least likely of the aforementioned destinations.

THE LATEST ON DYLAN LARKIN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes Dylan Larkin could make changes to his trade list over the next 24-to-48 hours.

The Detroit Red Wings center currently has a 10-team trade list. It includes the Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, Utah Mammoth, Tampa Bay Lightning, and New Jersey Devils.

Larkin, 30, is currently refusing to play in an attempt to pressure the Red Wings into moving him.

Friedman said it’s very hard, if not impossible, for some of the teams on Larkin’s list, like Florida, Vegas, or Colorado, to make offers for him. He thinks Larkin might take some names off his list, or perhaps add some.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun recently looked at the teams on Larkin’s current list.

He claimed the Wild remain very interested and made multiple offers, but the issue for Detroit is the lack of immediate NHL help in those offers. The Hurricanes have kicked it around internally.

The Devils might want to keep their powder dry in case Wild make defenseman Quinn Hughes available in the trade market. The Capitals have engaged, but it may not have gone far. The Mammoth have also considered it, but may not be motivated to go down that path.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anthony Di Marco recently reported team sources told him the Philadelphia Flyers would be interested in acting as a third-party broker to help facilitate a trade between the Wild and Red Wings involving Larkin.

Di Marco claimed the Flyers would be willing to absorb forward Yakov Trenin’s contract ($3.5 million AAV through 2027-28) to enable the Wild to free up cap space for Larkin’s contract. The Flyers are also interested in Wild prospect forward Charlie Stramel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see if Larkin is willing to add to his list, and if he’ll include any Canadian teams. The Canadiens are rumored to be interested, and have the assets to meet the Red Wings’ asking price, but nothing will happen if he doesn’t add them to his list.

UPDATE ON SIMON EDVINSSON

SPORTSNET: In his latest “32 Thoughts” column, Elliotte Friedman listed the Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks, and Seattle Kraken among the teams that have “taken a long look” at Simon Edvinsson.

The Sharks have had “substantive” talks with the Red Wings about the unsigned 23-year-old defenseman. He believes a serious offer was made and rejected by the Wings. Friedman can’t speak for the Blues, but he believes the Red Wings asked the other four teams about their young centers.

Friedman said the Wings are willing to wait until the Dec. 1 deadline for signing restricted free agents to trade or sign him.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng noted Friedman’s report indicating the Sharks made a serious offer for Edvinsson. He also noted the bit about the Wings asking about young centers, noting the Sharks have Michael Misa, Filip Bystedt, and Zack Ostapchuk. Will Smith was drafted as a center, but he’s played as a wing with the Sharks.

Peng reported a source told him Bystedt, winger Igor Chernyshov, and defenseman Keaton Verhoeff were all up for grabs, but didn’t know the combination.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan recently told a reader that he would be surprised if Dylan Larkin added the Canadiens to his trade list. He believes the Habs would have an interest in Edvinsson, though they’d like him more if he were a right-hand shot.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: William James noted that Sportsnet’s Frank Seravalli recently said the Flyers are seeking an upgrade on defense. Seravalli claimed they’re interested in Edvinsson and Calgary Flames blueliner Zach Whitecloud.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff insists his priority is signing Edvinsson, but it seems more likely that he’ll move the young defenseman by Dec. 1.

The Sharks seem to be the front-runners based on these recent reports. The Flyers reportedly haven’t made a serious pitch yet, and I doubt the Canadiens are acquiring Edvinsson unless they’re moving a left-shot defenseman (other than Lane Hutson) in a separate deal for a second-line center.