Alexander Nikishin isn’t alone.
The early stages of the 2026-27 NHL season are about the players seeking trades. The rumor mill is as busy as it has ever been at this stage of a campaign.
Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck wants out of town, but his team seems to be in no rush.
Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin had his ‘C’ removed after his trade request, but he still hasn’t been dealt away.
The Red Wings also have young defenseman Simon Edvinsson seeking a big new contract that may instead result in him being traded away, too.
And then there’s Nikishin, the talented blue liner for the Carolina Hurricanes who could very well end up being traded but has pretty much no control over what happens next.
Alexander Nikishin Trade Update
Nikishin is a restricted free agent, and at this point he’s in a standoff with the Hurricanes.
Who’s going to blink first?
The Athletic’s Chris Johnston certainly thinks this could end in a trade, because he lists Nikishin as No. 4 on his early-season trade board behind just Hellebuyck, Larkin and Edvinsson.
The tough part with Nikishin specifically is not knowing what the Hurricanes are going to do.
“Nikishin’s first full NHL season was a memorable one as he followed an 11-goal, 33-point campaign by lifting the Stanley Cup,” Johnston writes. “However, it’s been a difficult offseason with the RFA unable to agree to a new contract in Carolina or get his rights traded to another NHL team. Nikishin profiles as an all-around defenseman with good size and skating ability, and his offensive output (in the regular season) hints at an ability to become even more impactful as he adjusts to the NHL game.”
Hurricanes Have Control
The tough part for Nikishin is that the Hurricanes have pretty much all of the control of his sutation.
“With minimal service time and very few CBA-afforded rights, he’s basically at the mercy of the Hurricanes to deal him elsewhere before resuming his career in North America,” Johnston writes.
If the Hurricanes don’t trade him, really the only options at this point would be to continue holding out or to return and find a way to agree to a deal to play this season in Carolina.
It’s not often that a Stanley Cup champion has a young player like Nikishin wanting to leave rather than wanting to try and win another one — but that’s the case right now in Carolina, and the Hurricanes are just trying to navigate it
Alexander Nikishin ‘At The Mercy Of The Hurricanes’