The Carolina Hurricanes-Alexander Nikishin trade saga has been well documented over the past few months.
After Nikishin requested out of Carolina, there has been no real traction regarding a potential trade involving him.
Several teams have been linked to Nikishin, but he continues to hold out in anticipation of a new contract, which seems to be the biggest roadblock in this whole saga.
Well, in a recent report by David Pagnotta, the trade saga with Nikishin has taken another turn, and this time it involves Canes’ head coach Rod Brind’Amour.
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Canes’ Coach Brind’Amour Wouldn’t ‘Be Upset’ If He Never Coaches Nikishin Again
In kind of a wild report from David Pagnotta, Alexander Nikishin is pretty much done with Carolina, and in a Rod Brind’Amour twist, Pagnotta notes that he doesn’t think Rod Brind’Amour would be upset if he never had to coach him again.
David Pagnotta on Daily Faceoff Live about Nikishin: Both sides are pretty much exactly where you’d expect them to be. They’re dug into their respective positions. He wants out. He doesn’t want to be part of the team. My understanding is that I don’t think Rod Brind’Amour would… pic.twitter.com/UNu54Koh4G
— R i N K Y (@RinkyReport) October 22, 2026
At this point, Nikishin might really be hurting his future by being off the ice and not playing at all, and it’s become clear that he likely won’t play with the Hurricanes again.
Kyle Morton of DailyFaceoff.com wrote:
“Promising Russian defenseman Alexander Nikishin remains unsigned, and given that he’s requested a trade from the team, it seems like his tenure in Raleigh may be short lived. The Hurricanes have taken their time to ensure they get their desired value back in a trade for Nikishin, who was named to the NHL’s all-rookie team last year.”
It’s also quite bizarre that so many NHL teams (who may have interest in Nikishin) have been unable to strike a package with the Canes.
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When Will Alexander Nikishin Be Traded??
It’s really hard to tell when Alexander Nikishin will be traded at this juncture.
The two sides seem to really be at a stalemate, and unless Carolina is blown away by an offer, Nikishin could remain out of luck, and even if he is traded soon, Nikishin still may hold out for a new contract.
He’s a very promising young Defenceman, but it’s clear the Hurricanes don’t need his services, as they are off to a strong 8-2-1 season, and Carolina’s Stanley Cup run mostly came with Nikishin seeing very few ice shifts.
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This article was originally published on HEAVY
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