Nikita Kucherov will have to make some more room in his trophy case this summer. The Tampa Bay Lightning winger was awarded the Ted Lindsay Award, naming him the NHL’s most outstanding player as voted on by the NHLPA. This will be the second time Kucherov is a recipient of the award. In 2019, he won both the Linsday and the Hart Trophy as the NHL regular season MVP.
Kucherov capped off another outstanding season, recording 37 goals and 84 assists for 121 points. This total was good enough for Kucherov to secure back to back Art Ross Trophies–the third of his career. Kucherov also became only the fourth player to ever record three straight 80+ assist seasons, joining Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey, and Bobby Orr.
The trophy room is certainly getting full. Three Art Ross Trophies, 2 Ted Lindsay Awards, 1 Hart Trophy, and of course 2 Stanley Cup rings. So what will be the next test for this Hall of Fame tracking career?
One final trophy Kucherov lacks: Conn Smythe Trophy
It seems almost too much to ask of someone who stands third all-time in playoff points amongst active skaters, but the feather in Kucherov’s well decorated cap would be the Conn Smythe Trophy. To be the Stanley Cup Playoff MVP is no small feat. Not only do you need to be the best player in a gruelling 2 month tournament, but you almost always must lead your team to Stanley Cup glory. However, winning is not something the Tampa Bay Lightning are terribly unfamiliar with. During Tampa’s Cup runs, the Russian superstar led the team in points both years, but ultimately saw his teammates lift the prestigious award, as he finished 3rd and 2nd in voting in 2020 and 2021. This is not necessarily an indictment of Kucherov, but rather his excellent playoff outings were overshadowed by extraordinary runs from Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Now the Lightning’s and Kucherov’s fortunes have turned, and that same playoff success has eluded them. With three consecutive first round outs, and Kucherov having only 1 goal in those 16 games, it is clear Tampa is in dire need of their star winger to shine bright again. This should be the next goal for the Russian superstar, and of course for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Though the season ended in disappointment for the Lightning, winning the Ted Lindsay is still a great achievement and something to celebrate. The Tampa Bay Lightning were sure to do just that as fellow teammates and staff surprised the player with the Trophy after a skate in Tampa Bay.
A remarkable career keeps getting better, and with plenty more to play, where will Kucherov land in the conversation of greats? The collection of hardware is undeniable, and impressively it continues to grow. Two more awards added, and years still to go, can Kucherov continue to add to his illustrious career? At the very least, he’s not showing signs of slowing down yet.
