TALK YOUR SHIT, NIKITA KUCHEROV
Say what you want about the Tampa Bay Lightning putting on the most blatant display of salary cap circumvention the game has ever seen to win back-to-back Cups. $18M over or not, that doesn't change the fact that everybody plays this game to one day hoist Lord Stanley over their head one day. And for guys like Nikita Kucherov, that dream day has come twice.
So do you think Nikita Kucherov gives a flying fuck about cap circumvention? Not a damn chance. Do you think Nikita Kucherov gives a shit about who plays goalie for the Vegas Golden Knights? Unless it's another Russian, he has no idea who else plays in the league. So no, not a chance. Do you think Nikita Kucherov gives a shit about the Montreal Canadiens, their fans, or the entire province of Quebec as a whole? I mean...he did spend a season in the QMJHL before making the jump to Tampa so maybe he has a small sweet spot for Quebec. But as far as Montreal fans go, he couldn't possibly give less of a fuck.
Nikita Kucherov is a back-to-back Stanley Cup Champion, he knows this team is finally going to get broken up now by the Salary Cap, so he's going to talk all the shit he wants. Tarps off, completely obliterated after demolishing a zillion post game beers, without a care in the world to give. And if that's how he is up at the podium immediately after the game, I can't even begin to imagine what the parade speech is going to be like. Especially considering buddy was as waffled as they come for round 1 last year.
Not bad for a 58th overall pick.