“He’s just a really funny guy,” Johnson said of Kucherov.

“Everyone saw when we won, he was doing his stuff and everything, but it’s just kind of how Kuch is. He’s one of the greatest guys, but he does his own thing. He has his way of doing it, and that’s just what it is. A lot of people always bring up when we made that triplets picture, the ugly sweaters and everything,” he said with a laugh. “We all thought it was a stupid idea. Trust me, not one of us actually wanted to do it, but it was kind of my job and Pally’s job to get Kuch to want to do it, because he was totally against it. He’d rather play on the ice than take pictures, but that was a pretty fun time trying to talk Kuch into wanting to do that with us. I’m actually shocked we were able to get a few photos there.”

From those early moments playing together, Johnson knew Kucherov was going to be a special player. That skill, combined with Kucherov’s nonstop effort to be the best, has proven Johnson’s prediction correct.

“I think pretty early on when you factor in his skill, his work ethic, and then also just the confidence in himself, I think that sets him apart. And I think we realized that he was going to be a really special player. Did we know that he was going to be Kuch of Art Ross every single year? I don’t know if I would have said that right away. That’s just years of development and working hard for him, but it’s really cool to see,” Johnson said. “I never would have counted against him, for sure, but you need someone to work extremely hard. And Kuch has that.”

Palat, the final piece of that infamous Triplets line, joked that he and Johnson taught Kucherov everything he knows during their time together.

“Just kidding. But it was just a lot of fun,” he said of playing with Kucherov. “We were young, and the league was changing a little bit, but we were good. We were a fast line and that was an upcoming trend in the NHL it felt like, so we had a great year together. We were just playing hockey, having fun. We didn’t really think about any pressure or anything like that.”

Much like Johnson, Palat pointed to a combination of vision and work ethic that separates Kucherov from even the world’s best players.

“Obviously he’s a huge talent, and he has a work ethic that, I mean, everybody knows how hard he works throughout the season and in the summer. And with that, he has a huge hockey IQ that wants to get better and better,” Palat said. “It was amazing to play with him and see him growing up into just an unbelievable player here.”

Much like Johnson, Palat conceded that you always have to be ready for the puck when you’re playing with No. 86 because he is processing the play faster than anyone else. Even if you think there might not be a passing lane open to the blade of your stick, Palat said Kucherov could find one.

From the passes to locker room chats, time with Kucherov remains near the top of Palat’s NHL career memories.

“His personality is kind of funny,” Palat said. “He’s a great guy to have around and obviously just those highlights in the playoffs we got together were amazing.”

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Hockey Hall of Famer Adam Oates first met Kucherov in Los Angeles more than five seasons ago through former NHLer Mikhail Grabovski, who Oates coached with the Washington Capitals.

Oates, now a full-time skills coach, lives in West Palm Beach and talks to the Lightning forward often. He continues to work with Kucherov throughout the summer on offseason training.

Oates, also a member of the NHL’s 1,000-point club, said the best part of Kucherov’s game is his mental processing.

“His brain. He’s a smart man,” Oates said, comparing it to the ability to process the stresses of driving a car.

“I compare hockey to driving your car down the highway. You’re going 70 mph on a three-lane highway…You might have to change lanes, you might have to slow down, you might have to accelerate. You’ve got to pay attention to your blind spots. There’s a lot going on. Every single day of your life, there’s a lot going on. You make a mistake, we know what happens. Hockey is no different. And honestly, I would say that he processes information fantastically.”

Fans in Tampa are accustomed to Kucherov’s quick hands, remarkable passing and smooth skating. Oates said that skillset features a rare combination for any hockey player.

“It’s rare to have a man with the IQ, the talent–the ability to skate with and without the puck is incredible. He’s been very fortunate, and I think he’d tell you that he’s got to play with some great players himself, but that just compliments his skillset. At the end of the day, he’s a very, very talented guy that works on his craft.”