Following his outstanding performance, the question remains: can Nikita Kucherov keep up with himself and win his second Hart Memorial Trophy? He is certainly working on that.
Saturday night was an unforgettable experience. On March 21, Nikita Kucherov, who had 17 points in seven games, came to Edmonton to face his frenemy, Oilers captain Connor McDavid. This game held special significance for the third-place Lightning (in the East) and the eighth-place Oilers (in the West).
Before the matchup, McDavid was leading the NHL points race with 115 points in 70 games, while Kucherov was right behind him in second place with 114 points in 63 contests. Notably, Kucherov recorded those 114 points in fewer games and had 38 goals along with a +41 rating. McDavid, on the other hand, needed more games to reach his total, scoring 37 goals with a plus/minus of +11.
Kucherov continued his run by putting on a real show, scoring two goals and totaling four points against the Oilers. He took the league lead with 118 points and a +44 rating. Moreover, he added the first shorthanded goal of his NHL career—his first penalty-kill goal—bringing his career total to 397 goals in 1,111 contests.
After the game, Kucherov was so energized that he gave a rare postgame interview, crediting his love of the game for his recent success. The Bolts concluded their four-game road trip in Calgary the next day. Although Kucherov recorded an assist in a 4–3 overtime loss, it appeared the team had no gas left after such a wild stretch.
Russian Hockey Roulette
The good news is that the team is coming home. However, they will have little time to regroup after their Western road trip. The Minnesota Wild will be in town on Tuesday, March 24, to challenge the Lightning’s defense. The matchup will be especially “spicy” for Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and the Wild’s leader, Kirill Kaprizov (38 goals, 80 points). As Russian countrymen, they often have an added layer of internal competition, so Kaprizov will be particularly motivated to score against Vasilevskiy.
As for the Lightning superstar, who has 13 points in four games, his last encounter with the Wild resulted in a lone goal during a 5-1 loss in Minnesota on March 3. Looking ahead, Kucherov will be on fire, too. He is on the verge of something bigger than just being one of the best players in the league now. Hockey fans around the world are watching him race himself.
It’s clear that Kucherov is making another strong case for the 2026 Hart Trophy as the most valuable player to his team. Unfortunately, despite his outstanding efforts, and even leading in key categories, he has come up short in voting in previous years, with the award going to Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets in 2025 and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche in 2024.
The Lightning superstar won the Art Ross Trophy in the 2024-2025 campaign with 121 points in 78 games, and again in 2023-2024 with an impressive 144 points in 81 games.
Only four Russian-born players have won the Hart Trophy since its establishment in 1924: Sergey Fedorov of the Detroit Red Wings (1994), Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals (2008, 2009, and 2013), Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins (2012), and Nikita Kucherov (2019). Meanwhile, Connor McDavid has won the Hart Trophy three times.
It is time for voters to recognize Nikita Kucherov’s remarkable impact and reward him with this well-deserved honor. Despite playing in a smaller, non-traditional hockey market, Kucherov remains a role model for young players and a clear leader embraced by Tampa Bay fans.