Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin has been the subject of abundant trade rumors this season. And all of that is because the Carolina Hurricanes don’t really want to meet the RFA’s asking price.
Meanwhile, potential trade suitors have reportedly taken a step back amid signability concerns.
What hasn’t been clear is the precise sticker price on his next contract, until now.
Insider Frank Seravalli revealed the sort of target that Nikishin’s camp has in mind. And it’s reportedly in the same ballpark as Vancouver Canucks rising star Zeev Buium.
“If I were to guess what Alexander Nikishin is looking for, I think it would be something in the realm of what Zeev Buium [9.3m AAV] signed for in Vancouver.”
So, $9 million seems a little too big for the Hurricanes’ britches. And that’s something that has contributed to the standoff between Carolina and Alexander Nikishin’s camp.
At this point, it seems like it’s a game of chicken. Someone will blink first, and, when that happens, the situation may finally come to a resolution.
Hurricanes Don’t Want to Break Their Salary Structure for Nikishin
There is a reason the Hurricanes might hesitate at that number beyond simply deciding whether Alexander Nikishin is worth it.
Carolina has been remarkably disciplined with its salary structure.
Sebastian Aho currently carries the organization’s highest AAV at $9.75 million, while Nikolaj Ehlers is at $8.5 million, Andrei Svechnikov at $7.75 million and Seth Jarvis at roughly $7.5 million.
That makes a $9.3 million contract for Nikishin more than just another big extension.
It would put a defenseman who has played only 81 NHL games right alongside the highest-paid players on the roster.
That’s a significant commitment.
Nikishin is certainly talented enough to warrant a major raise. He had 33 points in his first full NHL season and has already established himself as an important young defenseman. But the Hurricanes have built their roster around avoiding the kind of contracts that can become difficult to move later.
That’s especially relevant for a team that just won the Stanley Cup.
Carolina doesn’t need to panic.
It can afford to wait and see whether Alexander Nikishin blinks first.
The problem is that the defenseman has a very good reason not to.
The NHL salary market is moving upward, and Buium’s eight-year, $75.04 million extension at a $9.38 million AAV has given Nikishin’s camp a very convenient benchmark.
If Carolina won’t pay it, someone eventually might.
Alexander Nikishin Has Little Reason to Give Carolina a Discount
The Hurricanes have benefited from players accepting less money to remain part of a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
That philosophy has helped Carolina maintain depth while keeping its highest salaries relatively manageable.
But Alexander Nikishin may not be particularly interested in playing that game.
That’s because he already has something many players spend their entire careers chasing.
A Stanley Cup.
Nikishin was part of the Hurricanes team that won the championship last season, giving him a pretty strong bargaining position. Carolina can sell the idea that staying in Raleigh gives him a chance to keep competing for championships, but that pitch may not be enough to convince him to leave millions on the table.
And the market is giving him another reason to wait.
Buium is only 20 and had 26 points in 76 NHL games before signing his $9.38 million AAV extension. Nikishin is older, has already completed his first full NHL season and is coming off a year in which he established himself as a physical presence on Carolina’s blue line.
That doesn’t automatically make Nikishin worth more than Buium.
It does make the comparison difficult for the Hurricanes to ignore.
If Nikishin’s camp believes $9 million-plus is where the market is headed, there is little incentive to compromise now.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, have to decide whether their salary structure is more important than keeping one of their most promising defensemen.
That’s what makes this standoff so fascinating.
Carolina doesn’t want to blink.
Alexander Nikishin doesn’t appear to have much reason to, either.
Alexander Nikishin Price Tag Revealed Amid Trade Rumors