Nikita Kucherov is about to dethrone Steven Stamkos as all-time scorer

Sports admin October 13, 2026 0 Comments

Nikita Kucherov is about to dethrone Steven Stamkos as all-time scorer

NEW YORK – Nikita Kucherov doesn’t like talking about himself, even when on the cusp of becoming the Lightning’s all-time leading scorer.

But when the conversation turns to Steven Stamkos, Kucherov allows a brief smile. And you realize that this milestone is more than a formal passing of the torch.

Stamkos will always be a beloved franchise icon, but he’s often said that Kucherov would be the one to break all of his scoring marks. The future Hockey Hall of Famers will both have their numbers hanging from the rafters at Benchmark International Arena.

Kucherov, 33, entered Tuesday’s game against the Rangers within five points of tying Stamkos, and he’ll do it in almost 200 fewer games. Kucherov brought 1,132 career points into his 885th NHL game Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. Stamkos scored 1,137 points in a Lightning uniform in 1,082 games.

“Kuch is going to go down as the best player who’s ever played here,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “And I think everyone, the (Vinny) Lecavaliers, the (Marty) St. Louises, the Stamkoses, they will all agree. And that’s not a knock against any of those guys because they’re the staples of our organization.

“It’s going to be hard to argue with what he’s done, the Cups he’s won, the points he’s put up, what he’s delivered, that he won’t be the greatest of all time.”

Kucherov and Stamkos will sit together as the Lightning’s best scorers, but they were also different. Stamkos was raised to be comfortable in the spotlight, front and center on and off the ice. Kucherov’s best work is done behind the scenes, as he passes along his brilliant way of seeing the game to teammates.

But it was Stamkos who showed him first hand what it would take to be consistent.

“He just has so many great things in his game, and it’s just hard to pick one,” Kucherov said of Stamkos. “Obviously, his shot is unreal. I was always trying to mimic his shot. But I think what was great to me is he always wants to learn and do better. And I thought for me, as a kid, seeing the guy who’s done it over the years and still wants to get better, pushed me to be the same. So he was a great role model.”

Always special, but eventually great

Greatness can certainly rub off on a player, but Kucherov was never going to be outworked.

Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy first played with Kucherov on the Russian U-18 junior national team. Kucherov was the leading scorer on the team as a 16-year-old, but already was carving out a relentless work ethic.

“I remember he was always the last guy off the ice. He literally sat there in his gear when everyone was already showered out of the locker room,” Vasilevskiy said. “It was just him in his gear. I remember that immediately because I was one of those guys, too. I think it’s just in his blood. …

“He was always obviously talented, but just his mentality, just his attention to details. Over the years, the best thing about him is that he didn’t change much. All of that is still the same.”

Kucherov came onto the NHL scene as the catalyst of the Lightning’s “Triplets” line that led Tampa Bay to the 2015 Stanley Cup Final. Ondrej Palat did the dirty work in the corners and in front of the net, Tyler Johnson stretched the ice with his speed. And Kucherov drove the line with his vision and creativity.

“He thinks above the rim over pretty much everybody,” Cooper said of Kucherov. “But it’s the experience now. You can pass your driver’s test, but it doesn’t make you a good driver. You still have to get behind the wheel. …

“He’s so darn smart, within one year, he figured it out, and now he has an ability to play with anybody, and he is the guy when you put him on a line that makes everybody else better.”

“But he sees it better now than he saw it 10 years ago,” Cooper added. “He’ll tell you that.”

Setting a new standard with experience

That set the tone for the Kucherov we know today: A player who can see plays two steps ahead. Someone who can slow down a game that is increasingly built around speed. Someone who takes just a couple of days off after the season and goes back to work on his craft to get better.

The result is a cabinet full of hardware: two Hart Memorial trophies, three Art Ross trophies, two Ted Lindsay awards and two Stanley Cups. He has four 120-point seasons and over the past three seasons, Kucherov has averaged an unmatched 1.69 points a game, consistency that has put him where he is now, about to pass Stamkos.

“He just gets it,” said Lightning center Brayden Point, Kucherov’s longtime linemate. “The thing with Kuch is his IQ. He sees the ice better than almost everyone in the game, and you know I think because of that, he’s able to change with how different teams play or just how the game kind of goes over the years. And I think that’s part of the reason why he’s been able to have such consistent success.”

And just like Stamkos set an example for him, he’s doing the same for others.

“You see a guy who’s that good and you see the effort that they put in, it almost forces you to push yourself,” Point said. “Stammer was like that for me, too, when he was here. It’s just really fun to see those guys work, and they do force the team to work harder.”

Kucherov has never basked in his individual achievements, and he won’t when he passes Stamkos.

“I guess it’s great,” Kucherov said. “I don’t know. I really don’t think about it. I don’t put pressure on myself about it. Maybe later in the years, it will mean something.”

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This story was originally published October 13, 2026 at 4:08 PM.