Steven Stamkos reacts to Nikita Kucherov trade request after Predators beat Lightning

Rarely is a Nashville Predators win overshadowed by off-ice news about the opposing team.But that’s exactly what happened on Oct. 31 when the Tampa Bay Lightning visited Bridgestone Arena.One day earlier, the NHL was shocked to learn of Nikita Kucherov's trade request out of Tampa Bay. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman broke the news that Kucherov, a two-time Hart Trophy winner, is not planning to re-sign with the Lightning and is now requesting a trade.After the Predators 5-4 shootout win, Steven Stamkos, who played 10 seasons with Kucherov in Tampa Bay, reacted to the news. “My reaction was probably the same as all of yours," Stamkos said. "You don’t expect to see something like that.”Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois issued a statement regarding the trade request on Oct. 30, saying: "We are aware of the media reports regarding the future of Nikita Kucherov with the Lightning. We unequivocally have no intention of trading Nikita."The situation is likely familiar for Stamkos, who had his own contract standoff with Tampa Bay in 2024. He went un-signed by the Lightning (8-3-2, 18 points) that summer, then signed a four-year deal with Nashville (5-4-5, 15 points)."Obviously I have the world of respect for (Kucherov)," Stamkos said. "Everyone knows what I think of him as a player and as a person. Getting a chance to play with him for so long, he was a huge part of my success. I still keep in touch with him."This was the Predators' first shootout win of the season and ended a two-game losing streak. Stamkos had six shots in 16:21 and scored the game-tying goal and the shootout-clinching goal.As for Kucherov, 33, the trade request did not seem to affect his impact on the game: He finished with three assists in 23:41."He still looked pretty good out there tonight," Stamkos said. Next up, the Predators host the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 3 (7 p.m. CT, The Spot Nashville 28).EXCLUSIVE: Predators coach Andrew Brunette addresses job security amid lukewarm start | ExclusiveAlex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com, follow him on X at @alexdaugherty1 or check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Steven Stamkos reacts to Nikita Kucherov trade request after Predators beat Lightning