Sometimes a team shops a player, not because they don't want them anymore, but because they have no room for them. Such is the case for Alexander Nikishin. The young Carolina blueliner is a pending RFA and looks as if he is going to be moved after having a relatively solid rookie campaign.
It's not his fault. Nikishin is going to be a roster casualty. The Hurricanes already have on defense: Jaacob Slavin, Sean Walker, Shayne Gostisbehere, K'Andre Miller, and Jalen Chatfield. Carolina also swung a draft-day deal for John Carlson.
Nikishin is 24 years old. In his first pro season, he scored 11 goals with 22 assists. He was a member of the NHL all-rookie team and finished seventh in Calder Trophy voting. Carolina has the money to keep him. The 6’3″ left-hander is also not afraid to play a physical style of hockey you'd expect from a Rod Brind'Amour team. He ended up with 94 blocked shots and 132 hits. So why move him?
The Canes do not know how much money he will demand as an RFA. Carolina, as the reigning Stanley Cup champions, doesn't really have any holes to fill. However, any team can improve. Nikishin is probably their best asset to trade if they want to grab someone. They are not hurting for draft picks, but they could acquire some more if they wanted to. However, with the potential signing of Carlson, the Hurricanes will probably have to dump most of their funds on him. Nikishin will have to be moved to free up those funds.
What would it take to get Nikishin from a Flyers' standpoint? The team has a bunch of prospects. If they want to do a defensive prospect, like Helge Grans, Spencer Gill, and/or Christian Kyrou, they could be sent to pry him away. If they want a more veteran presence, perhaps a prospect with Simon Benoit, who plays a physical style that Brind'Amour may want to employ on occasion. Perhaps an offensive prospect, such as Devin Kaplan, might have to be thrown in.
Nikishin could become a popular option for many teams. Likewise, Carolina may not want to arm a divisional rival with a player of his talent, especially after seeing the Washington Capitals load up. He wouldn't come cheap. Most likely, it would take two to three prospects and/or one or two high-level draft picks (Rounds 1-3).
Is Nikishin worth it? Looking at his rookie year, I'd say yes. Plus, the fact that he is Russian might make Matvei Michkov more comfortable, as he has said he's been lonely at times, especially with Egor Zamula and Aleksei Kolosov not on the roster. Getting a young, rising star like Nikishin could be a smart move for the Flyers.
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