NHL rumors: Hurricanes rivals confirm trade possibility of 24-year-old Stanley Cup champion RFA

The Carolina Hurricanes are coming off a Stanley Cup championship. They also have almost every player from the Cup-winning team under contract, after the Hurricanes re-signed Nicolas Deslauriers during the championship parade.

The only remaining free agents are Frederik Andersen, Mike Reilly, and Alexander Nikishin, who may not be getting a contract from the Canes, according to Darren Dreger of TSN.

“Multiple teams have confirmed Carolina is considering trade involving Alexander Nikishin. The 24 year old Stanley Cup champion is a pending RFA, so the Canes are weighing trade interest vs extension,” Dreger posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Nikishin was the 69th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft. He would continue to play in the KHL with SKA Saint Petersburg through 2024-25. He would then sign his entry level contact and would play four games with the Canes in the playoffs. He played in 81 games this season for the team, finding the back of the net 11 times while adding 22 helpers. He also played in 17 playoff games with one assist. He missed two games in the playoffs due to a concussion.

Andersen and Reilly are both unrestricted free agents, while Nikishin is restricted. He is projected to get between $3.7 and $6.4 million in AAV on a new contract, depending on the length of the deal. The Hurricanes have just $10 million in cap space this offseason, which could make moving Nikishin a financially responsible move for the club.

The Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings have been previously linked to Nikishin, although there is likely to be multiple other suitors for the 24-year-old Russian blueliner.

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