Alexander Nikishin just told the Carolina Hurricanes no. The deal he walked away from ran eight years.
Elliotte Friedman reported this afternoon that the young defenseman passed on an AAV somewhere between $5.5 million and $6 million.
That's serious money for a blue liner with one full NHL season on his résumé. And Carolina put real term on the table to prove it meant business.
The rookie year gave him leverage. He played 81 games, piled up 33 points and finished +18.
Before that, the 69th overall pick in 2020 was a force in the KHL, putting up 55 points in 65 games for St. Petersburg SKA in 2022-23.
So why balk? His last contract carried a $925,000 cap hit, and the jump to long-term money is the one moment a player holds the pen.
Hurricanes opened without Nikishin and got shut out by Florida
Tuesday's opener ended in a 1-0 loss to the Panthers beyond regulation. The Hurricanes were held scoreless on home ice.
Nikishin did not dress. Six other defensemen did, with Jaccob Slavin and K'Andre Miller leading the group.
Miller carries a $7,500,000 cap hit, while Slavin sits at $6,396,062.
Carolina's offer would have landed the Russian right below Slavin's number. For a second-year player, that's an aggressive bid.
Up front, Sebastian Aho counts $9,750,000 and Nikolaj Ehlers $8,500,000. Every extra dollar on the back end squeezes something else on this roster.
Here's where his case gets thinner. In 17 playoff games last spring, he managed one assist.
Carolina's offer is fair, and turning it down after that postseason is a gamble. It's a rookie realtor rejecting a salaried partnership after one hot summer of listings.
Charles-Alexis Legault dressed on opening night on a $915,834 cap hit. That's the kind of cheap depth Rod Brind'Amour can lean on while this plays out.
The schedule won't give the bench much breathing room either. Washington visits Friday, and Carolina heads to Philadelphia the next night for a back-to-back.
Eric Tulsky now has to decide whether eight years was his best shot. Or whether the next number moves at all.
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Nikishin said no to security. Now he finds out whether Carolina says yes to more.
Should the Hurricanes refuse to raise their offer to Alexander Nikishin?
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