- Carolina announced Wednesday that unsigned RFA Alexander Nikishin will not be on the ice when training camp opens Thursday
- GM Eric Tulsky confirmed it in a short statement and said the club will not be commenting further
- Read below for how the Hurricanes have already covered themselves on defense
Alexander Nikishin will not be at Carolina’s training camp.
The Hurricanes announced Wednesday that their unsigned restricted free agent defenseman, who asked for a trade this summer, is staying away when the Stanley Cup champions hit the ice Thursday. General manager Eric Tulsky put out a statement on it and stopped there.
“Alexander Nikishin is not under contract currently, so he will not be at camp when we hit the ice on Thursday. We won’t be commenting further at this time.”
Check out the club’s announcement:
This has been simmering all summer. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported Monday that Nikishin asked for a trade once Carolina’s Cup run ended, and that nothing about his stance has changed in the months since.
So the 24-year-old lifted the Stanley Cup in June and wanted out weeks later:
His rookie year gave him plenty to negotiate with. Nikishin put up 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 81 games, averaged 18:11 a night, finished seventh in Calder Trophy voting and made the NHL All-Rookie Team.
Things quieted down in the playoffs. Carolina’s third-round pick from 2020 managed one assist in 17 games and saw his ice time drop to 14:50 as the Hurricanes won it all.
Tulsky spent the offseason building a net under the blue line. Mike Reilly and Pierre-Olivier Joseph both signed one-year deals, and Joel Nystrom and Charles-Alexis Legault are already in the organization. That leaves Rod Brind’Amour four options for the spot next to Shayne Gostisbehere.
Nikishin’s name has floated around the league since June, including in Carolina’s summer pursuit of Connor Hellebuyck, who wants out of Winnipeg himself. Neither side has blinked, and camp opens Thursday without him.
