Today is when NHL teams are due to submit their opening night rosters. It has to be turned in to the league by 5 p.m. ET, as the league’s first official day is tomorrow.
As moves are made, note that Nashville Predators general manager Chris MacFarland placed both Nick Perbix and Ilya Lyubushkin on waivers on Sunday.
Nashville has been linked to Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin as the offseason comes to a close.
On Monday’s edition of 32 Thoughts, the podcast hosted by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, he noted that Nikishin was close to joining the New York Rangers.
However, a contract could not be agreed on between the Rangers and Nikishin.
“The rumor before the Buium contract came in was that he was looking for around 9 million a year,” Friedman said. “I don’t think the Rangers ever got there. I don’t think they were far away, but I don’t think they got there.”
Friedman added that the St. Louis Blues were poking around on Nikishin as well.
Nashville and Nikishin are a possible fit
Should the Predators see Lyubushkin and Perbix get claimed on Monday, then they would recoup $6 million of cap space.
The issue is if those defensemen don’t get claimed. If both clear waivers, they remain under contract with Nashville but are sent down. The Predators receive the maximum $1,225,000 in relief for each player. However, $3.55 million combined remains trapped against Nashville’s cap.
Nashville could certainly package a first-round pick and some other futures, plus a promising D-man to acquire Nikishin from Carolina.
The linchpin in this all for MacFarland is getting a contract extension that will be digestible. Given that the Russian defenseman is coming off a Stanley Cup win, he’s demanding top market value. As Friedman detailed on his podcast, this is a key factor.
“I don’t know where this is right now, but since Buium’s deal came in, he’s probably asking for even more, and I suspect this has been true; he’s not looking for as much term,” Friedman said of Nikishin’s next contract.
The rumor Friedman heard was that Nikishin was asking for five years at $9 million a year. That’s a deal the Predators could get behind. If MacFarland was high on the defenseman coming in and making a big difference, they may agree on a contract.
“One of the reasons I think that Nikishin has been given permission to speak to some teams is to see if they can pull off a three-way trade with the Jets. If there’s some way to do that. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I think that is out there,” Friedman said.
Carolina’s asking price for Nikishin
The other thing that Friedman has heard about Carolina getting fair value for Nikishin is akin to two first-round picks.
Nashville could meet those demands after moving Luke Evangelista to the New Jersey Devils. They acquired a conditional first, and Nashville has their own first-rounders over the next three drafts.
Not only that, but MacFarland has two third-round picks in 2027 and three second-round picks in 2028 to weaponize if he wanted to. There’s also the possibility of moving a younger defenseman back to the Hurricanes.
Nashville has Ryan Ufko, Tanner Molendyk, and Adam Wilsby at their disposal as well. It doesn’t mean they have to use them all, but there’s a chance MacFarland uses assets like that in a trade for Nikishin if he has to.
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Alexander Nikishin a Potential Fit in Trade to Nashville Predators