Alexander Nikishin has the chance to really change a team's prospects. Especially, the Edmonton Oilers.
After winning a Stanley Cup in his rookie season with the Carolina Hurricanes, the defenseman requested a trade ahead of his entry to the restricted free agent market.
Several Pacific Division teams poised to land Nikishin
According to Bleacher Report, both the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks are seen as contenders to land Nikishin via trade. The corresponding article justified the former's interest by pointing to the Flames' continued roster revamp, with specific mention of the defensive side of the ice. Having already acquired Simon Nemec via trade and with Zayne Parekh set to play his first full NHL season, the Flames could use a Nikishin trade to create increased depth at the position for the long-term.
As for Vancouver, Bleacher Report cited that he would take on a larger workload than in a veteran-loaded Hurricanes squad, but that would come with the cost of being part of a medium-term revamp. That said, he would bring significant experience to what is a younger Canucks lineup, something that would be especially pertinent if the team is forced to flip a key player to make the math work.
Other potential trade packages saw Nikishin flipped to the Detroit Red Wings for Alex DeBrincat (now that I think about that, DeBrincat on a line with Andrei Svechnikov and Logan Stankoven would be quite dangerous) and Frank Seravalli reported that the Hurricanes offered him and a first-rounder to the Winnipeg Jets for now-suspended-goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
Should Edmonton bid their rivals out of the competition? Do they have to enter the race?
The issue for Edmonton isn't that Nikishin is available.
The issue is the fact that Vancouver and Calgary, two rebuilding division rivals, are looking to acquire Nikishin's services. While the Canucks and Flames don't seem like an immediate issue for the Oilers in the grand scheme of things, losing out on not just a Stanley Cup-winning defenseman, but one who is entering just his second full NHL season. As mentioned above, that is the kind of defenseman that could secure the long-term future of a hockey team, especially one that is leaning towards the older side of the spectrum.
To answer the question of "do they have to enter the race for Nikishin?" They should.
While the Oilers cap space situation isn't exactly favorable, they could move a contract or two to be able to offer Nikishin the $8 million AAV he is looking for.
Logically speaking, moving Jake Walman's contract would give the Oilers just above $8 million in cap space, which would immediately put Edmonton in position to work Nikishin into the team's long-term efforts. While some might argue that Walman and his ability to shoot the puck is an important part of the Oilers' ability to blend their superstar forward core with two-way hockey, Nikishin is able to fill the offensive void that would be left by any trade involving Walman. And when considering that Nikishin is a physical defenseman himself, a Walman-for-Nikishin trade would essentially allow the Oilers to maintain the blue-line's offensive production while getting six years younger.
Carolina could opt to stand pat and exercise the "we see your trade request, but we won't trade you" strategy, which is similar to what the Jets are doing with Hellebuyck.
But these are two similar-but-also-quite-different issues. The Jets have a veteran goaltender in the form of Stuart Skinner (roast him all you want but he is still an experienced veteran) locked in for the next two years and they could easily wait for an offer that includes a goaltender before dealing Hellebuyck.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes only have four defensemen signed past this season, three of which are under contract beyond the 2028-29 campaign. Add on the fact that they have just $8 million in cap space, a measure that only increases to $29 million in one year's time, and reinforcing the defense for the long-term becomes a lot more difficult.
But with that in mind, it is fair to argue that the Hurricanes don't need to trade Nikishin now and that they can wait for a move to materialize. And this would also be favorable for the Oilers; it would be a wise approach to see whether Mike Babcock's adjustments help or hurt the team before making the decision to bring someone in.
In short, there is an avenue for the Oilers to trade for Nikishin, and a trade could very well benefit both Carolina and Edmonton.
But would Edmonton be able to out-bid Calgary or Vancouver? That depends.
If we're talking about this question with purely draft capital in mind, then absolutely not. The Flames and Canucks have a combined 17 first and second-rounders over the next three drafts, while Edmonton has just three such picks. In the scenario that Carolina asks for a player-optional return, Calgary and Vancouver could easily give the Hurricanes the draft capital they want to draft a defenseman or trade for one (Quinn Hughes anyone?).
If we're talking a player-for-player swap and maybe some picks, the Oilers could have some leverage. They'd be able to offer Carolina some immediate relief for their defensive depth; Walman's contract runs until 2033 and Rod Brind'Amour could be able to put him in a bottom-four pairing to see if he can rebound from his 2025-26 campaign.
It remains unknown what is going on with regard to Nikishin's trade request, but it's safe to assume that the Oilers should be prepared to enter the race if their immediate division rivals do truly get involved.
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