Over the last few years, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov has cemented his name as one of the best players in the National Hockey League. Kucherov has become a household name for any Tampa Bay Lightning fan. His consistent playmaking, quick shot, and elite hockey intelligence allow him to become known as a premier offensive threat amongst his competitors.
Not only is his position as an offensive menace substantiated by the consensus of Bolts fans, but it is also substantiated by his statistics. In each of his last three seasons, Nikita Kucherov has remarkably managed to score over 110 points. For any regular forward, achieving 100 points is quite the achievement. However, Kucherov is no ordinary player. For him, 100 points is the standard. Anything Nikita Kucherov can do to help his team win is well worth the effort. During the 2024-2025 NHL season, Kucherov contributed to his team’s success with a whopping 121 points in 78 games. Out of those 121 points, 46 points came from the power play.
By the time Kucherov begins the 2025-2026 NHL season, he will only be two years removed from his career high 144 point campaign where he totalled a historic 100 assist season. With next season a mere few months away, fans are all asking the same question: can Nikita Kucherov maintain his elite offensive production?
Nikita Kucherov has been in the National Hockey League since the 2013-2014 NHL season. Since then, Kucherov has progressed into the offensive juggernaut he is today. He raises the bar of Lightning hockey each and every single time he steps onto the ice. In assessing if he can maintain his production, it is important to note that Hockey is a team sport. For Kucherov to capitalize on his playmaking ability, he needs to have some players surrounding him with elite scoring ability. Thankfully, players such as Brandon Hagel, Jake Guentzel, and Brayden Point all fit the bill.
Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point figure to be Kucherov's linemates once again for the 2025-2026 season. As per ESPN.com, the 2024-2025 NHL season saw both Guentzel and Point score over 40 goals. Kucherov has played on Point’s wing for quite some time now, but his time with Guentzel has been rather short. With one season completed with consistent linemates, imagine how Kucherov will perform! Rome wasn’t built in a day. Similarly, Stanley Cup contending rosters are not built in a day. Shaping and creating a roster to compete for a Stanley Cup takes time, diligence, and effort. Kucherov has managed to string together quality individual performances since the 2017-2018 season. If Covid-19 did not occur which utterly shocked the way the National Hockey League operated, it is realistically possible fans could have seen seven straight 100 point seasons from Nikita Kucherov.
To answer the above question, it is extremely likely Nikita Kucherov will continue his legendary campaign moving into the 2025-2026 NHL season. The forward has shown zero signs of regression and heavy signs of heating up as the years go by. Especially with Guentzel and Point on Kucherov's team, the future seems bright. Look for Nikita Kucherov to continue being Nikita Kucherov next season.