The Hurricanes are interested in Connor Hellebuyck, and the Jets goalie isn't expected back for the start of the season.
Elliotte Friedman laid out both on Friday's 32 Thoughts. Asked whether Hellebuyck shows up for the start of the season, he said, "I'm not expecting that."
The Carolina part is where it gets interesting. Friedman floated a scenario involving Alexander Nikishin, who has permission to talk to some teams after asking for a trade.
He doesn't think the Jets are interested in Nikishin. "What if it's an attempt to do like a 3-way for Hellebuyck or something else," Friedman said.
The Jets suspended their goalie on September 17 after he didn't report to training camp.
Once the regular season opens Tuesday, a suspended player forfeits his pay for every day he stays out.
So do the Hurricanes really need another goalie?
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Connor Hellebuyck may miss season opener amid Hurricanes trade interest
The timing is odd. The Hurricanes gave Pyotr Kochetkov a two-year extension on Friday worth $3.95 million per season.
Hellebuyck's $8,500,000 cap hit is more than double that, and only two NHL goalies carry a bigger one.
Nikishin gives Carolina something real to sell. He dressed for 81 games last season and finished plus-18.
His $925,000 cap hit ran through last season and ended with restricted free agency, which makes any trade math trickier.
The Hurricanes also clear the biggest hurdle. Hellebuyck won't waive his no-movement clause for another Canadian team, and they aren't one.
A three-way deal is the only version of this that makes sense. The Jets don't want Nikishin, the Hurricanes want a goalie, and somebody in the middle has to want a young defenseman.
It's like a three-way apartment swap. Nobody gets the place they'd design from scratch, but everybody walks away with a key that fits.
The Jets wrapped their preseason with a 5-2 loss at Colorado last night. Stuart Skinner made 28 saves on 32 shots.
Scott Arniel's group opens at home against Boston on October 2, while the Hurricanes play in Nashville this afternoon before hosting Florida on Tuesday.
Kevin Cheveldayoff has said no doors are closed. Friedman just described one with three handles, and Eric Tulsky has his hand on at least one of them.
Should the Hurricanes trade Alexander Nikishin in a three-way deal to land Connor Hellebuyck?
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