There are three elite players in the NHL who command the most attention on an every-night basis. Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche and Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning are regularly considered to be the three best players in the NHL.

The 33-year-old Kucherov is in his 13th season with the Lightning. He has reportedly let the team know that he is not going to sign a new contract with the Lightning. He is in the final season of his eight-year, $76 million deal and he would like to be traded, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.

Neither Lightning GM Julien BriseBois nor Kucherov's agent Dan Milstein had a comment on the development at this early stage. Kucherov won the NHL's Hart Trophy last year as the league's Most Valuable Player after scoring 44 goals and 86 assists for 130 points. It was the second time in his career that he has won that award.

Kucherov has scored 4 goals and 11 assists in his first 12 games this season. He is a pinpoint passer and a brilliant playmaker who has one of the hardest and most accurate shots in the NHL.

Kucherov is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Lightning and a seven-time All Star. The Russian native was selected in the second round of the 2011 NHL draft by Tampa Bay.

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Kucherov plays right wing on the Lightning's top line that includes Brayden Point at center and Jake Guentzel on left wing.

He is also the trigger man on Tampa Bay's top power play unit. However, that unit is connecting on just 16.7 of its man-advantage chances this season, and that ranks 27th of the 32 NHL teams.