Nikita Kucherov
#86 · Right wing · Tampa Bay Lightning
Born Jun 17, 1993 in Maykop, RUS (age 33) · 5'11", 172 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 58th overall in 2011 by TBL (round 2)
Trophy case
Compare with a similar player
The forwards closest to him in points in 2024-25. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.
Nathan MacKinnon
COL ·
116 P in 79 GP
David Pastrnak
BOS ·
106 P in 82 GP
Leon Draisaitl
EDM ·
106 P in 71 GP
Mitch Marner
TOR ·
102 P in 81 GP
Connor McDavid
EDM ·
100 P in 67 GP
Career
Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.
Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | Shots | Hits | P/GP | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | TBL | 52 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 3 | 14 | 102 | 15 | 0.35 | $712K |
| 2014-15 | TBL | 82 | 29 | 36 | 65 | 38 | 37 | 191 | 65 | 0.79 | $712K |
| 2015-16 | TBL | 77 | 30 | 36 | 66 | 9 | 30 | 209 | 61 | 0.86 | $712K |
| 2016-17 | TBL | 74 | 40 | 45 | 85 | 13 | 38 | 246 | 30 | 1.15 | $4.767M |
| 2017-18 | TBL | 80 | 39 | 61 | 100 | 15 | 42 | 279 | 31 | 1.25 | $4.767M |
| 2018-19 | TBL | 82 | 41 | 87 | 128 | 24 | 62 | 246 | 44 | 1.56 | $4.767M |
| 2019-20 | TBL | 68 | 33 | 52 | 85 | 26 | 38 | 210 | 37 | 1.25 | $9.5M |
| 2021-22 | TBL | 47 | 25 | 44 | 69 | 1 | 22 | 156 | 32 | 1.47 | $9.5M |
| 2022-23 | TBL | 82 | 30 | 83 | 113 | -2 | 36 | 271 | 61 | 1.38 | $9.5M |
| 2023-24 | TBL | 81 | 44 | 100 | 144 | 8 | 22 | 306 | 45 | 1.78 | $9.5M |
| 2024-25 | TBL | 78 | 37 | 84 | 121 | 22 | 45 | 265 | 23 | 1.55 | $9.5M |
| 2025-26 | TBL | 77 | 44 | 86 | 130 | 43 | 50 | 231 | 36 | 1.69 | $9.5M |
| 2026-27 | TBL | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1.33 | $9.5M |
| 13 seasons | Career | 883 | 402 | 726 | 1128 | 202 | 436 | 2717 | 480 | 1.28 |
Playoffs
Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | Shots | Hits | P/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | TBL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0.50 |
| 2014-15 | TBL | 26 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 7 | 14 | 57 | 39 | 0.85 |
| 2015-16 | TBL | 17 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 51 | 22 | 1.12 |
| 2017-18 | TBL | 17 | 7 | 10 | 17 | -6 | 10 | 61 | 14 | 1.00 |
| 2018-19 | TBL | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -4 | 19 | 9 | 3 | 0.67 |
| 2019-20 | TBL | 22 | 6 | 26 | 32 | 17 | 18 | 82 | 37 | 1.45 |
| 2020-21 | TBL | 23 | 8 | 24 | 32 | 6 | 14 | 62 | 18 | 1.39 |
| 2021-22 | TBL | 23 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 7 | 14 | 77 | 24 | 1.17 |
| 2022-23 | TBL | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 21 | 11 | 1.00 |
| 2023-24 | TBL | 5 | 0 | 7 | 7 | -1 | 2 | 9 | 13 | 1.40 |
| 2024-25 | TBL | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 0.80 |
| 2025-26 | TBL | 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 31 | 5 | 0.86 |
| 12 seasons | Playoffs | 156 | 53 | 122 | 175 | 41 | 122 | 470 | 192 | 1.12 |
2024-25 season totals
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | Shots | Hits | P/GP | Shooting % | Avg TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | 37 | 84 | 121 | 22 | 45 | 265 | 23 | 1.55 | 14.0 | 21:11 |
Contract
His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 698 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.
The contract
Signed by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jul 10, 2018, as an extension of the contract he was on: 8 years and $76M, beginning in 2019-20. It runs through 2026-27, with 2 seasons left after this one, and he is then an unrestricted free agent.
| Season | Cap hit | Base salary | Signing bonus | Performance bonuses | Paid in all | Clause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | $9.5M | $1M | $11M | $12M | ||
| 2020-21 | $9.5M | $4M | $5M | $9M | NMC | |
| 2021-22 | $9.5M | $3.5M | $8.5M | $12M | NMC | |
| 2022-23 | $9.5M | $4M | $5M | $9M | NMC | |
| 2023-24 | $9.5M | $5M | $5M | $10M | NMC | |
| 2024-25 | $9.5M | $5M | $4M | $9M | M-NTC | |
| 2025-26 | $9.5M | $5M | $3M | $8M | M-NTC | |
| 2026-27 | $9.5M | $4M | $3M | $7M | M-NTC |
Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.
Contracts he has signed
| Signed | Signed by | Kind | Seasons | Years | In all | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 2018 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Extension | 2019-20 to 2026-27 | 8 | $76M | $9.5M |
| Oct 11, 2016 | Tampa Bay Lightning | New contract | 2016-17 to 2018-19 | 3 | $14.3M | $4.767M |
| Sep 11, 2012 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Entry-level | 2013-14 to 2015-16 signed for 2012-13, slid | 3 | $2.775M | $712K |
Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2024-25 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.
2024-25 analytics
Rating
Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 456 ranked forwards: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile.
The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater, and the rank beside it is among forwards. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance.
On the ice
What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean
Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 598 skaters who played enough to be ranked: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile. PDO and attempts taken are left plain, since neither is good or bad on its own.
Who he played with
| Forward line | GP | Time | CF% | xGF% | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikita Kucherov · Jake Guentzel · Brayden Point | 67 | 649:23 | 51.0 | 54.4 | 44-26 |
| Nikita Kucherov · Anthony Cirelli · Brandon Hagel | 63 | 243:48 | 62.2 | 67.8 | 13-8 |
| Nikita Kucherov · Jake Guentzel · Anthony Cirelli | 26 | 54:00 | 59.3 | 59.8 | 4-0 |
| Nikita Kucherov · Yanni Gourde · Brayden Point | 5 | 42:31 | 55.8 | 55.1 | 4-2 |
The lines he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's lines that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.
Chances and finishing
Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net.
Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 428 who played 300 minutes or more this season.
His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.
Where he shot from
Every attempt he took this season, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. Darker red means more attempts from that spot, and each dot is a goal. "Show every shot" switches to a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. Click a goal for its details.
Game log
| Date | Opponent | Result | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | Shots | Hits | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2025 | @ NYR | L 0-4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13:43 |
| Apr 15, 2025 | vs FLA | W 5-1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 15:12 |
| Apr 13, 2025 | vs BUF | W 7-4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 19:42 |
| Apr 11, 2025 | vs DET | L 3-4 (OT) | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21:58 |
| Apr 9, 2025 | vs TOR | L 3-4 (OT) | 0 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 25:02 |
| Apr 7, 2025 | @ NYR | W 5-1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20:28 |
| Apr 5, 2025 | @ BUF | L 2-3 (SO) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 23:25 |
| Apr 3, 2025 | @ OTT | L 1-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 25:09 |
| Apr 1, 2025 | @ NYI | W 4-1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 18:34 |
| Mar 29, 2025 | vs NYI | W 5-3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 19:43 |
| Mar 27, 2025 | vs UTA | W 8-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 15:52 |
| Mar 25, 2025 | vs PIT | W 6-1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 18:17 |
| Mar 23, 2025 | @ VGK | L 2-4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 22:09 |
| Mar 22, 2025 | @ UTA | L 4-6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 21:09 |
| Mar 20, 2025 | @ DAL | W 3-2 (SO) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21:11 |
| Mar 17, 2025 | vs PHI | W 2-0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22:37 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | @ BOS | W 6-2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19:25 |
| Mar 11, 2025 | @ CAR | L 1-4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:17 |
| Mar 8, 2025 | vs BOS | L 0-4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17:16 |
| Mar 6, 2025 | vs BUF | W 6-5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17:18 |
| Mar 4, 2025 | vs CBJ | W 6-2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 19:57 |
| Mar 3, 2025 | @ FLA | L 1-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 27:58 |
| Mar 1, 2025 | @ WSH | W 3-1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:55 |
| Feb 27, 2025 | vs CGY | W 3-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 16:41 |
| Feb 25, 2025 | vs EDM | W 4-1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 22:51 |
| Feb 23, 2025 | vs SEA | W 4-1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18:13 |
| Feb 8, 2025 | @ DET | W 6-3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 22:15 |
| Feb 6, 2025 | vs OTT | W 5-1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 21:05 |
| Feb 4, 2025 | vs OTT | W 4-3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 23:13 |
| Feb 1, 2025 | vs NYI | L 2-3 (OT) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 23:59 |
| Jan 30, 2025 | vs LAK | W 3-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22:22 |
| Jan 28, 2025 | vs CHI | L 1-4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 24:19 |
| Jan 25, 2025 | @ DET | L 0-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 26:14 |
| Jan 24, 2025 | @ CHI | W 4-3 (OT) | 1 | 2 | 3 | -2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 25:04 |
| Jan 21, 2025 | @ MTL | L 2-3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 26:55 |
| Jan 20, 2025 | @ TOR | L 3-5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 25:06 |
| Jan 18, 2025 | vs DET | W 5-1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16:44 |
| Jan 16, 2025 | vs ANA | W 4-3 (SO) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 27:27 |
| Jan 14, 2025 | @ BOS | L 2-6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21:36 |
| Jan 12, 2025 | @ PIT | W 5-2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 19:10 |
| Jan 11, 2025 | @ NJD | L 2-3 (OT) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 23:58 |
| Jan 9, 2025 | vs BOS | W 4-1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 22:49 |
| Jan 7, 2025 | vs CAR | W 3-2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 22:50 |
| Jan 5, 2025 | @ ANA | L 1-4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 22:46 |
| Jan 4, 2025 | @ LAK | L 1-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 23:24 |
| Jan 2, 2025 | @ SJS | L 1-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 23:01 |
| Dec 29, 2024 | vs MTL | L 2-5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 22:22 |
| Dec 28, 2024 | vs NYR | W 6-2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 19:55 |
| Dec 23, 2024 | @ FLA | W 4-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 06:12 |
| Dec 22, 2024 | vs FLA | L 2-4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 23:47 |
| Dec 19, 2024 | vs STL | W 3-1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 20:51 |
| Dec 17, 2024 | vs CBJ | W 5-3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 17:25 |
| Dec 14, 2024 | @ SEA | W 5-1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20:24 |
| Dec 12, 2024 | @ CGY | W 8-3 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19:11 |
| Dec 10, 2024 | @ EDM | L 1-2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 22:05 |
| Dec 8, 2024 | @ VAN | W 4-2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 22:43 |
| Nov 29, 2024 | @ NSH | W 3-2 (OT) | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16:39 |
| Nov 27, 2024 | vs WSH | L 4-5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 23:51 |
| Nov 25, 2024 | vs COL | W 8-2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18:49 |
| Nov 23, 2024 | vs DAL | L 2-4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21:41 |
| Nov 21, 2024 | @ CBJ | L 6-7 (OT) | 0 | 3 | 3 | -1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 23:01 |
| Nov 19, 2024 | @ PIT | W 3-2 (OT) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 24:51 |
| Nov 16, 2024 | vs NJD | W 4-0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 19:39 |
| Nov 14, 2024 | vs WPG | W 4-1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 22:47 |
| Nov 7, 2024 | vs PHI | L 1-2 (SO) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 26:05 |
| Nov 5, 2024 | @ STL | L 2-3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 25:56 |
| Nov 3, 2024 | @ WPG | L 4-7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 22:33 |
| Nov 1, 2024 | @ MIN | L 3-5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 22:41 |
| Oct 30, 2024 | @ COL | W 5-2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16:36 |
| Oct 28, 2024 | vs NSH | W 3-2 (OT) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 21:44 |
| Oct 26, 2024 | vs WSH | W 3-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:51 |
| Oct 24, 2024 | vs MIN | L 2-4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 20:57 |
| Oct 22, 2024 | @ NJD | W 8-5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18:00 |
| Oct 21, 2024 | @ TOR | L 2-5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 21:39 |
| Oct 19, 2024 | @ OTT | L 4-5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 19:44 |
| Oct 17, 2024 | vs VGK | W 4-3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 23:06 |
| Oct 15, 2024 | vs VAN | W 4-1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 22:28 |
| Oct 11, 2024 | @ CAR | W 4-1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 21:55 |