Reigning Stanley Cup champions Carolina Hurricanes have reportedly received trade calls from multiple teams for their defenseman Alexander Nikishin in recent times.

NHL insider Darren Dreger of TSN took to his official X account to share the details about what the future might hold for Nikishin at his current franchise.

“Multiple teams have confirmed Carolina is considering trade involving Alexander Nikishin,” Dreger reported in an X post. “The 24-year-old Stanley Cup champion is a pending RFA, so the Canes are weighing trade interest vs extension.”

Since Nikishin is set to become a restricted free agent (RFA) on July 1 of this year, the Canes front office has to make up its mind on him sooner rather than later. Nikishin had signed a two-year, $1.85 million entry-level contract with them in April 2025, which ran its course at the end of last season.

As Dreger mentioned on X, the option of extending his contract long-term might not be as tempting for them after receiving trade calls for him. Their ultimate decision will rest on which option would be more beneficial to the balance sheet.

Moreover, Carolina has more than $11 million in cap space with 21 players on their roster under contract ahead of the 2026-27 season, per Puckpedia.

As per the report from TSN, goaltender Frederik Andersen and defenseman Mike Reilly are the two pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) apart from the RFA status of Nikishin.

The Canes are likely to give at least one of them a contract extension to keep as much of their core intact as possible. Over the past year, they have extended deals for forwards Jackson Blake, Logan Stankoven, and, recently, Nicolas Deslauriers.

Alexander Nikishin’s NHL career since joining the Carolina Hurricanes

Alexander Nikishin was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes as the No. 69 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft before he spent five years developing his craft in his native land of Russia.

He ultimately made his NHL debut for the Hurricanes in 2025, against the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, after signing an entry-level contract.

Nikishin scored an assist in his four playoff appearances for the franchise in 2025.

In his first full season with Carolina in 2025-26, he played 81 games and scored 33 points for 11 goals and 22 assists. The youngster also got to compete in 17 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for them in 2026, in which he scored an assist.

For his splendid performances all year and winning the Stanley Cup, he was named to the 2026 NHL All-Rookie Team.

At the international level, he has won a silver medal for Russia in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing as the youngster player in the national squad.

Will Alexander Nikishin stay with the Carolina Hurricanes or move elsewhere ahead of the 2026-27 season? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Arjun Sharma

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore