Nikita Kucherov picked up his 900th career point when he assisted on Brandon Hagel’s first-period goal during the Lightning’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Kucherov joins Steven Stamkos (555-582—1137) and Martin St. Louis (365-588—953) as the only players in franchise history to hit the mark. He is also the third-fastest active player to the mark, behind only Connor McDavid (602) and Sidney Crosby (677).
Kuuuuch 🥳
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) November 22, 2024
Nikita Kucherov notches NHL point No. 900, becoming the 7th Russian-born player to reach the milestone. pic.twitter.com/29UElwATY5
A second-round pick (No. 58) by the Lightning in the 2011 NHL Draft, Kucherov has played like a first-round talent. He won the Art Ross Trophy as the top scorer in the NHL in 2018-19 with 128 points (41 goals, 87 assists), the most in a single season by a player born in Russia, and was voted winner of the Hart and Ted Lindsay Trophies.
Kucherov had his first 30-goal season in 2015-16, bumped that up to 40 goals in 2016-17, then finished third in the NHL in scoring in 2017-18 with 100 points (39 goals, 61 assists), helping the Lightning win the Atlantic Division. But those were just a prelude to 2018-19, when he led the NHL with 128 points (41 goals, 87 assists), setting a single-season record for points by a player born in Russia. He led all players in scoring during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs with 34 points (seven goals, 27 assists), helping the Lightning win their first championship since 2004.
After missing the entire 2020-21 regular season recovering from hip surgery, Kucherov returned to score 32 points (eight goals, 24 assists) in 23 playoff games to help the Lightning win a second straight Stanley Cup title. He led the playoffs in points (32) with 19 of them coming on the power play to become the sixth player to lead the postseason in scoring without a tie in consecutive seasons, the first since Mario Lemieux (1991-92).
