Nikita Kucherov's trade request creates an unusual situation inside Lightning's locker room

Nikita Kucherov's trade request created an odd situation in the Tampa Bay locker room that could end up pitting players against management.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are likely none too pleased with Nikita Kucherov requesting a trade, but they only have themselves to blame.

After a lack of communication and poor management led to the star winger deciding he wanted out, and while it's certainly a bombshell of an announcement, Kucherov is at least doing his teammates a solid by still playing as opposed to sitting out like Dylan Larkin and Connor Hellebuyck.

Kucherov made sure his teammates knew his choice before anyone else

In fact, it was his teammates that knew way before anyone else, as Kucherov had come to the decision and decided that before anything went public - he wanted his teammates to know the truth first-hand.

It would have been a little disheartening for the rest of the Lightning lineup to learn about Kucherov's request through social media or just from hearsay, and it shows a level of tact and class from Kucherov to be honest with both himself and the rest of the Lightning.

There's no ill will either, as teammates have pointed to Kucherov being a consummate professional who has the best intentions for the team in mind - but he's his own man and wants to make his own choices.

It's great to see that Kucherov isn't letting his teammates down, however his request could end up leading to a bit of turmoil and a clash of philosophies between players and management.

Kucherov's trade request could create a serious issue

Knowing that the team is unwilling to now twice refuse to pay their stars and let them walk proves that they may not have a future with the team unless they take a steep discount.

What of Victor Hedman? Is he going to take $8M or less on his next deal knowing that guys with 1/50th of his production are getting double-digit millions on their contracts?

How about Andrei Vasilevskiy? He has been the backbone of the Lightning's crease and is certainly worth more than his $9.5M contract dictates - even at 32 years old.

The advantage that Tampa Bay has right now though is that the majority of their big stars are signed long-term, and it's really only those aforementioned three who are in line for huge pay raises.

But those contracts are going to expire eventually, and the salary cap is going to continue to rise. If the Lightning are still refusing to pay their players by then - we could see a mass exodus out of Tampa Bay.

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