Alexander Nikishin isn’t at training camp as he awaits a contract and/or a trade
The Chris Johnston Show: Chris Johnston was asked what’s the latest with Carolina Hurricanes RFA defenseman Alexander Nikishin and his trade request.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Julian McKenzie: “I did want to ask about one more RFA. I wanted to ask about the Alexander Nikishin situation in Carolina. He requested a trade earlier this week. The Canes put out a statement on Wednesday. They’re not going to comment further beyond that statement. But any insight as to what’s happening there?”
Johnston: “Well, he had requested a trade. He wants, you know, a big contract, and you know, given, given the environment, not not saying he shouldn’t earn that contract, but you know, it’s a bit of a tough spot if you’re Nikishin because he doesn’t have a lot of rights here.
You know, he doesn’t even have the ability to sign an offer sheet because he doesn’t have enough service time to qualify for that under the CBA. So really, you know, the Hurricanes, to some extent, control his, his NHL rights. And, you know, I think that they’re willing to be patient to see what, what comes about.
Alexander Nikishin wants a trade, not the KHL, and Shawn Horcoff has a big opportunity
I mean, obviously they’ve looked into trades, but you know, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything pressing in that circumstance. And and, you know, he’s gonna have to, you know, how, how long, how long do you want to push it, you know, will, will be the question. And, and we’ll just sort of see what goes, what goes there.
But you know, because he can’t sign an offer sheet, you know, you can ask for a trade, but if the Hurricanes don’t like it, I mean, at a certain point, if he wants to play in the NHL, he might just have to sign a contract. And so, you know, now, now they’re into the the grind of that, and you know, the Carolina’s returned basically its, its whole Stanley Cup team, even extended their captain and consummate winner Jordan Staal at pretty pricey $10 million if he hits his performance bonuses in, in two years time.
So they got a, they don’t have a whole lot of business hanging over them, and you know the way that they operate, not, not an emotional franchise, and the way they do business. You know, I think that they’ll they’ll be calm and see, see how the I guess the turning wheel, if it puts pressure on Nikishan to accept maybe a contract that he wasn’t willing to in the summer.”
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