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NHL Rumor Roundup: Will The Hurricanes Re-Sign Or Trade Alexander Nikishin?
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It was reported following the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs that the Carolina Hurricanes were considering whether to trade or re-sign defenseman Alexander Nikishin. As training camp approaches, they don’t seem any closer to doing either
Shortly after the Stanley Cup
Final, it was reported that the Carolina Hurricaneswere considering
trading Alexander Nikishin
The 24-year-old defenseman is a
restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract and is
ineligible to sign an offer sheet with another club
So far, there’s no indication
that the Hurricanes are closer to moving Nikishin
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The Hockey News’ Julian Gaudio
noted that the St. Louis Blues were reportedly interested in the
young Hurricanes blueliner. He indicated that they’ve already added
notable younger talent to their roster this summer, acquiring
forwards Mason McTavish, Connor McMichael, and Milton Gastrin
Bringing in Nikishin would
continue the Blues’ youth movement, but Gaudio pointed out
that his fit on their blueline and the cost of acquiring
and signing him are significant sticking points
Nikishin was considered a future
blueline star for the Hurricanes after a promising NHL debut, recording 11 goals and 33 points in 81 games last season. However, his role and his ice
time diminished during the playoffs, finishing with one point in 17 games,
raising questions about his place within the Hurricanes’ deep
defensive core
It’s currently unknown what
asking price the Hurricanes have set for Nikishin. Gaudio pointed out
that there was speculation they could prefer packaging the blueliner
with Jesperi Kotkaniemi to get the latter’s $4.82 million cap hit
off their books
thehockeynews.comFormer Canadiens Player Had His Day With The Stanley Cup In FinlandFormer Montreal Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi had his day with the Cup in Finland earlier this week.
Kotkaniemi was expected to
blossom into a second-line center when the Hurricanes signed him to an offer sheet in August 2021 while his rights remained with the Montreal Canadiens
However, he struggled to
fulfill that role, tumbling down the depth chart over the past two
seasons. Kotkaniemi was a frequent healthy scratch last season and
never played a single minute during the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup run
The Hurricanes were reportedly
shopping Kotkaniemi without success, and packaging the 26-year-old center
with Nikishin could be the best way to move him. However, clubs interested
in Nikishin could be unwilling to take on a reclamation project as
part of the deal
Meanwhile, contract talks
continue between the Hurricanes and Nikishin
On July 30, RG Media’s Daria
Tuboltseva reported that Nikishin was staying out of the negotiations,
preferring to let his agent handle things. Nikishin also indicated that he
wasn’t concerned about the trade rumors, saying they were “normal
for us.”
The Hurricanes have $9.88 million
in salary cap space for 2026-27, with Nikishin as their only unsigned
roster regular
If unable to find any takers for
Nikishin, the Hurricanes could sign him to an affordable two-year
bridge deal. However, his camp will likely prefer a more lucrative,
longer-term contract
Nikishin’s declining role with the Hurricanes, his lack of arbitration rights, and ineligibility to sign an
offer sheet give him little leverage in this situation
He could accept a short-term offer and attempt to battle his way back up
the depth chart, or hope that another club desperate
for a young, left-shot, puck-moving defenseman meets the Hurricanes’
asking price
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