Is Nikita Kucherov the Most Underrated NHL Legend Ever?

To start off, I don’t want people to think this is a heat-of-the-moment type of blog post. I’ve actually had this idea sitting in my drafts for about a month.

This conversation really started at a Legends pub in Richmond, BC, about a month ago, when my friends and I were just talking hockey and discussing how good Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov actually is.

Then, this past Thursday, I got the chance to watch Kucherov and the Tampa Bay Lightning absolutely dominate the Vancouver Canucks. The game wasn’t even competitive, as Tampa Bay was just toying with the last-place Canucks.

And while watching that game, I had some thoughts.

First, despite some struggles since the break, there’s a reason I still see Tampa Bay as a favourite in the Eastern Conference. And as a fan of the Montreal Canadiens, that’s the team I do not want to see in the playoffs if the Habs get in.

Second, and more importantly, Nikita Kucherov might truly be one of the most underrated legendary players in NHL history.

Now, he’s not underrated in today’s game. Everyone knows he’s elite. But when you compare how often he’s talked about to guys like Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, or Cale Makar, it feels like he doesn’t get the same level of attention, in my opinion.

There are reasons for that. He hasn’t been able to represent Russia internationally (for reasons I won't get into), and he plays in Tampa Bay, not exactly the biggest hockey media market. Even with two Stanley Cups this decade, he just doesn’t have the same spotlight as some of the other superstars in the league.

But when you actually look at what he’s doing, it’s ridiculous.

At the time of writing this, Kucherov leads the NHL in points with 118. He now has six 100-point seasons, including five straight. He’s a two-time Stanley Cup champion and a Hart Trophy winner.

And here’s something people forget: when McDavid had his 100-assist season in 2023-24, everyone talked about how historic it was. But Kucherov hit 100 assists that same season too. McDavid wasn’t the only one; let's not discredit number 86 in Tampa Bay to build up number 97 in Edmonton.

And unlike McDavid, Kucherov is a champion.

Another stat that really puts things into perspective: over the last five years, Kucherov has had 78 games with three or more points and only 66 games with zero points. He’s more likely to have a three-point night than a pointless one. Think about how insane that is.

When I was digging deeper, another stat shocked me: Kucherov has the seventh-highest points per game in NHL history at 1.28. That’s ahead of players today like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and even Nathan MacKinnon. And then even all-timers like Guy Lafleur, Jaromír Jágr, and Peter Forsberg, just to name a few notables below him on that all-time list.

And this is where things get really interesting. You could honestly make the argument that Kucherov might end up (if he isn't already) being the greatest Russian player in NHL history.

Yes, that might be a bold take when you consider names like Alex Ovechkin, who has the most goals in NHL history; Sergei Fedorov, one of the most skilled players ever; Evgeni Malkin, a dominant force himself and a three-time Stanley Cup champion; and Pavel Datsyuk, who seemingly was up for the Selke Trophy every year while also dominating on the offensive end, you could very well argue Kucherov is the best of all of them.

Kucherov is reaching a level statistically where he will finish ahead of a lot of them in total points while continuing to stack individual awards and potentially more Stanley Cups to his trophy case.

So while he’s not underrated in today’s NHL, I do think when we zoom out and look at the bigger picture, there’s a real argument to be made; we might be watching one of the most underrated, or at least under-discussed, NHL legends ever.