The Vancouver Canucks have been named as a potential fit for a highly rated young defenseman. New general manager Ryan Johnson entered the fray during an important time in the club’s history. Vancouver is currently enduring a rebuild and has one eye firmly on the future. Because of this, Johnson and Co. should be looking at moves to help them a few years down the line.
One particularly interesting possible move would be to target Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun recently reported that the blueliner is still looking to leave Raleigh amid tense contract negotiations. The 24-year-old Russian is currently a restricted free agent and admittedly eyeing a new deal worth more than $8 million per season.
With this news in mind, Bleacher Report’s Sara Civian recently named several potential landing spots for Nikishin. Among the clubs listed by the reporter were the Vancouver Canucks. According to Civian, Vancouver would make sense for several reasons. And even if a partnership does not bear fruit, the Canucks could eventually flip the star in the future.
“If the Canucks are willing to invest in the 24-year-old, it could pay off down the line when he is still in his prime and the tides start turning for the team overall,” writes Civian. “Worst-case scenario, they flip him to a more competitive team for different assets if it doesn’t work out later.”
Vancouver Canucks Could Give Alexander Nikishin What he is Looking For
The Vancouver Canucks should be an attractive destination for Nikishin for two specific reasons. For starters, Johnson has plenty of money to work with at the moment. According to PuckPedia.com, Vancouver has nearly $17 million in projected cap space. The club could give the budding star a massive contract and still have leftover funds.
On top of this, the Canucks could give Nikishin the playing time he wants. Vancouver objectively has one of the worst rosters in the NHL right now. Although Zeev Buium and Filip Hronek are in place, the Canucks could certainly use an upgrade in defense. Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour, on the other hand, was reluctant to rely on the youngster during their successful Cup run.
Some may ask why Nikishin would want to join the Vancouver Canucks at this time. After all, the youngster just collected a title in his first full NHL campaign. Nevertheless, most contending teams cannot afford to give the blueliner $8 million AAV+ and ample playing time. This is where Vancouver could rise to the top of the negotiations with Carolina.
Vancouver Could Have Enough Assets to Strike a Deal
The biggest question regarding the Vancouver Canucks chances of landing Nikishin would be their trade offer. Johnson does have plenty of attractive draft picks at his disposal. Whether the exec wants to use them or not is another story. The Hurricanes also likely prefer to acquire NHL-ready players in return for the defenseman.
The Canucks would surely be willing to listen to offers on Elias Pettersson. After all, the star center is earning $11.6 million per season, but not putting up significant stats. Hronek could be a potential trade chip as well. The Hurricanes have a plethora of left-handed defensemen and may be inclined to swap the lefty Nikishin for a proven righty.
Canucks Named Top Trade Fit for Star Eyeing $8 Million AAV Deal