$1.8Mcap space after
All proposalsNYR / TBL
NYR and TBL trade
cw_user_ka9i7yklNov 1, 2026
18%
chance it happens
Model says TBL says no.
Vote below to see if readers agree.
$4.87Mcap space after
Who says no?
16 votesAnalysis
Tampa Bay likely passes: the package has real value, but moving its elite scorer in November would weaken a projected Cup contender. New York would have to weigh Kucherov’s immediate impact against the risk of giving up Perreault and Greentree for a player who could leave after one season.
Assets
- 2027 2nd round pick
Why the model says so
Kucherov could transform New York’s attack, but a bubble team may balk at giving up Perreault, Greentree, Schneider and a second-rounder without a deal beyond this season.
Perreault and Greentree give Tampa Bay two credible young forwards, but neither replaces Kucherov’s scoring during a Cup run.
The deal
New York Rangers acquire Nikita Kucherov from the Tampa Bay Lightning for Braden Schneider, Gabe Perreault, Liam Greentree and a 2027 2nd-round pick (BOS).
Team by team
NYR
Tampa Bay is projected as a Cup contender built around Kucherov. His 130 points last season and 18 in 13 games this season make him far more important to this run than the return: Perreault is a promising young NHL winger, Greentree is a recent first-round prospect, Schneider is an established defenseman, and Boston’s second-rounder is a useful extra pick.
TBL
New York is a bubble team, so paying two young first-round forwards, Schneider and a second for a 33-year-old winger is a major bet on making a run now. Kucherov carries a $9.5 million cap hit, becomes a UFA after this season and has a modified no-trade clause; Schneider’s $5.5 million deal also expires this season, while Perreault and Greentree each carry a $941,667 entry-level cap hit.