With training camp opening in two weeks, Alexander Nikishin’s future with the Carolina Hurricanes remains undecided. The 24-year-old defenseman frequently appeared in the off-season rumor mill after reports in June claimed the Hurricanes were considering trading or re-signing him.
The St. Louis Blues were among the teams linked to Nikishin. On Sept.
1, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic forecasted that they would acquire the Hurricanes’ rearguard as part of his list of bold predictions for the Blues. According to Rutherford, the 6’3”, 218-pound Nikishin fits the profile of a big, left-shot defenseman with Stanley Cup experience that Blues general manager Alex Steen is looking for.
The young Russian is a restricted free agent after completing his entry-level contract. He lacks arbitration rights and is ineligible to receive an offer sheet from a rival club.
Rutherford noted that Nikishin’s market value could be nearly $8 million annually. However, he has little leverage, and the Hurricanes might not want to go that high because it would use up most of their $9.8 million salary cap space.
With $4.3 million of cap space, the Blues won’t go that high either, unless they’re sending another player to the Hurricanes. Nevertheless, Rutherford speculated they could get Nikishin at a reasonable price and sign him to a bridge contract.
Five Teams That Should Target Alexander Nikishin In A Trade Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin is rumored to be moving on from the Stanley Cup champions before the 2026-27 season starts. Which teams