The Alexander Nikishin saga is over: The Hurricanes won

Michaël Petit
The Alexander Nikishin saga is over: The Hurricanes won
Credit: Capture d'écran | NHL.com

It's a done deal.

Alexander Nikishin and the Hurricanes have agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract.

Elliotte Friedman had reported that a deal was coming soon, and the Carolina Hurricanes made the official announcement a few minutes later.

It's safe to say the Hurricanes came out on top by signing him to a one-year deal worth just $3 million.

What's interesting to note is that this contract makes things much easier for the Canes in the event of a trade, since—as we recall—the defenseman had requested a trade. He wants a bigger role on another team.

This is big news in the hockey world, since Nikishin was one of the last restricted free agents still without a contract.

Now that Nikishin is returning to Carolina, Simon Edvinsson is the only other restricted free agent still on the market.

For the Hurricanes, there wasn't that much of a rush to re-sign him, mainly because the team is already doing very well without him and they didn't necessarily need him.

However, this move has just further solidified the defensive corps. We can expect Juuso Valimaki to be benched when Nikishin returns to the lineup.

Additionally, the fact that he signed for another season makes him eligible to receive a hostile offer in 2027—something he couldn't have received this summer.

After Connor Hellebuyck and now Nikishin, two major storylines are now closed (for the time being) in the NHL. The biggest stories to watch will be those of Edvinsson and, of course, Dylan Larkin. We'll still need to keep an eye on Nikishin, who could very well be traded sooner rather than later.


In a nutshell

– That's cute.

– Cole Caufield's got some swag.

– The coach is pretty stylish, too.

– That's right.

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