- Alexander Nikishin reportedly declined a long-term contract offer from the Hurricanes
- Elliotte Friedman says the unsigned defenseman is interested in Los Angeles
- Read below for Friedman’s full comments and the NHL Now video
Alexander Nikishin had a long-term deal sitting in front of him in Carolina. He said no.
Elliotte Friedman said on NHL Network’s NHL Now Tuesday that the Hurricanes offered the restricted free agent something close to their Jackson Blake contract: eight years in the $5 million to $6 million range. Nikishin turned it down.
Friedman was asked what’s going on with Nikishin as the Stanley Cup champs start their title defense without him.
“Well, I do think he wants to be traded. I think he’s made it very clear that he wants to be traded,” Friedman said. “You know, if you look in Carolina’s contract setup, they have some contracts like Jackson Blake. They’re like eight-year deals, five, five and a half, six million dollars. I think they offered Nikishin that kind of deal. He declined.”
Watch Friedman break down the Nikishin standoff on NHL Now:
The two sides are miles apart. Nikishin is believed to want around $9 million a year over five years, a number Friedman floated on Monday’s 32 Thoughts podcast when he revealed a Rangers trade had died over the contract.
That puts Carolina’s offer roughly $3 million a year short, with three extra years of term attached. Our post on the rejected offer flagged both the $5.5 million to $6 million range and his interest in the Kings:
Los Angeles is where he’d like to go. The cap sheet is the problem, and Friedman said as much.
“I think he’s interested in L.A.,” Friedman said. “I just don’t know that L.A. has the ability to make this deal and fit the salary in.”
Winnipeg is off the table. Friedman said Nikishin “is not signing in Winnipeg,” which complicates Carolina’s interest in Connor Hellebuyck. The Canes have let his new representation talk to certain teams to see if a trade, or a three-way deal that lands Hellebuyck, can come together.
St. Louis and Nashville have both tried. Carolina still wants something like two first-round picks, or comparable talent, in return.
None of this leaves Nikishin much room to push. He isn’t eligible for arbitration or an offer sheet, and Friedman spelled out what that means.
“So really Carolina has the complete and total hammer,” he said. “It’s one of those rare situations where the team has complete control over the player.”
Nikishin put up 33 points in 81 games as a rookie and added one assist in 17 playoff games during the Cup run. Carolina opened its season Tuesday with an overtime loss to the Panthers, and Nikishin wasn’t in the lineup.
Until a team can meet Carolina’s price and Nikishin’s number at the same time, the Hurricanes will keep playing without their unsigned defenseman.
