Nikita Kucherov continues to dominate offensively for the Tampa Bay Lightning this season and is building a strong case for the Hart Trophy with elite advanced metrics.
Kucherov, who has won back-to-back Art Ross trophies and is contending for another this season (111 points in 62 games; second behind Connor McDavid’s 115 in 69 games) for Tampa Bay, which has dealt with injuries to key players for much of the season. Kucherov, who won the Hart Trophy in 2019, has been a finalist for the Hart each of the past two seasons.
The 32-year-old, who has missed four games himself this season, has been on a scoring rampage in recent months. Since Nov. 19, 2025, Kucherov leads the NHL with 93 points (28 goals, 65 assists), the most by any NHL player in a 45-game span during a single season since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96. It’s worth noting Kucherov was as many as 22 points back of the NHL’s scoring lead earlier this season (prior to games Dec. 27).
Kucherov leads the NHL in four-point games (eight), four-assist games (three), multiassist games (22) and is second in multipoint games (36) behind McDavid (37). He’s also leading the NHL in points per game (1.79) for the season at large.
3. Shots by location
Kucherov is tied for ninth among forwards in long-range shots on goal (29) and ranks in the 95th percentile at the position in midrange shots on goal (68), high-danger goals (15), midrange goals (10) and long-range goals (two) this season. He also ranks tied for third in high-danger shooting percentage (41.7) indicating his finishing ability is the cause for this season’s goal scoring surge.
Kucherov, who is tied for fifth in the entire NHL in goals (37), is on pace for his fourth career 40-goal season which would tie him with Point for the second most in Lightning history behind Stamkos (seven).
Behind Kucherov’s charge up the scoring race, the Lighting are heading toward their first division crown since the 2018-19 season and possibly their fourth trip to the Stanley Cup Final over the past seven seasons. Kucherov could put himself in the company of former Lightning standout, Martin St. Louis, who is the most-recent NHL player to win the Hart Trophy and Stanley Cup in the same season (2003-04).
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