The Carolina Hurricanes are coming off a Stanley Cup championship. Additionally they have almost every player from the Cup-winning team under contract, after the Hurricanes re-signed Nicolas Deslauriers in the course of the championship parade.
The one remaining free agents are Frederik Andersen, Mike Reilly, and Alexander Nikishin, who is probably not getting a contract from the Canes, based on Darren Dreger of TSN.
“Multiple teams have confirmed Carolina is considering trade involving Alexander Nikishin. The 24 yr old Stanley Cup champion is a pending RFA, so the Canes are weighing trade interest vs extension,” Dreger posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Nikishin was the 69th overall selection within the 2020 NHL Draft. He would proceed to play within the KHL with SKA Saint Petersburg through 2024-25. He would then sign his entry level contact and would play 4 games with the Canes within the playoffs. He played in 81 games this season for the team, finding the back of the web 11 times while adding 22 helpers. He also played in 17 playoff games with one assist. He missed two games within the playoffs on account of a concussion.
Andersen and Reilly are each unrestricted free agents, while Nikishin is restricted. He’s projected to get between $3.7 and $6.4 million in AAV on a brand new contract, depending on the length of the deal. The Hurricanes have just $10 million in cap space this offseason, which could make moving Nikishin a financially responsible move for the club.
The Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings have been previously linked to Nikishin, although there’s more likely to be multiple other suitors for the 24-year-old Russian blueliner.
The Carolina Hurricanes are coming off a Stanley Cup championship. Additionally they have almost every player from the Cup-winning team under contract, after the Hurricanes re-signed Nicolas Deslauriers in the course of the championship parade. The one remaining free agents are Frederik Andersen, Mike Reilly, and Alexander Nikishin, who is probably not getting a contract from the Canes, based on Darren Dreger of TSN.