Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin could be a trade target for the St. Louis Blues. Meanwhile, winger Zachary Bolduc could be close to a new contract with the Montreal Canadiens, but defenseman Arber Xhekaj seems no closer to a deal.
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.
The Hurricanes could also use Nikishin as a trade chip if they wish to pursue a major goaltending upgrade.
Earlier this week, Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco proposed sending a trade package of Nikishin, goaltender Brandon Bussi or Pyotr Kochetkov, center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and two first-round picks to the Winnipeg Jets for Connor Hellebuyck.
Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky has shown a willingness to take big swings in the trade market. His club has the cap space to absorb Hellebuyck’s contract and tradeable assets like Nikishin. However, the Jets would likely want more in that deal than a struggling Kotkaniemi and a couple of first-round picks.
Latest On Canadiens RFAs
Shifting to the Montreal Canadiens, the status of defenseman Arber Xhekaj and winger Zachary Bolduc has made the unsigned restricted free agents the subject of trade conjecture in the Montreal media.
Stu Cowan of The Montreal Gazette last month raised the possibility of Xhekaj and Bolduc becoming "sign-and-trade" candidates as the Canadiens search for a top-six forward for their second line.
Earlier this week, however, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reported Bolduc could have a new contract before the Canadiens report for their training-camp physicals on Sept. 16. He speculated the 23-year-old winger could get around $4 million annually on a three-year deal.
Engels claimed Xhekaj wants to stay in Montreal and the Canadiens hope to keep him. However, the 25-year-old blueliner might be reluctant to commit until he has more clarity regarding his role with the club.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound defenseman’s physical style has earned the appreciation of his teammates and made him a fan favorite in Montreal. Nevertheless, he struggled last season to nail down a full-time role among their top-six blueliners.
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