Alexander Nikishin extension is an underwhelming ending to contract saga

The Carolina Hurricanes and defenseman Alexander Nikishin have finally come to an agreement on a new contract, and for how long and drawn out the negotiations went, the ending was a bit anticlimactic. The defenseman wanted a bigger pay day and to be moved elsewhere, but instead settled for $3 million this season, and just to play in Carolina for now. It makes sense, but with how the situation was going, it feels weird for it to end like this.

Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton talked about the fallout of Nikishin’s contract situation on Daily Faceoff Live.

Tyler Yaremchuk: All this talk about how he wants $9 million, he wants to get traded, the Blues like him, they’re going to try trade him to Winnipeg for Hellebuyck, all this stuff. It ends up being a one-year, $3 million deal, which feels insanely anticlimactic to end this whole thing. The deal is whatever. It’s probably lower than Nikishin obviously wanted, but you got to start playing hockey at some point.

And this was my gripe with him the whole time. You have one year under your belt. You need to go out and prove you can do it a second time. And then guess what? If you prove you can do it two years in a row, you’ll get your big ticket. He ends up getting less than he originally wanted.

Do you think there’s any amount of awkwardness with him walking into that Canes room, or do you think because it was all purely contract-based that players get it?

Carter Hutton: No, I think players get it. I honestly truly do. And again, I don’t think this solved the situation. I think we just kicked it down the road. But it’s a prove-me deal. It’s a “Show me what you can do. You got another year left on your deal. Can you get it done?”

Tyler Yaremchuk: Eric in the chat says, “Horrible move by the Canes. It devalues the asset and brought in the guy who’s been saying they wanted out”.

I actually think it’s the opposite. I think it probably adds a decent amount of value to this asset where now he’s cost controlled at $3 million, he has no trade protection on that. It buys both parties more time.

I think this is a situation where he might not even be a Cane by the trade deadline. I highly doubt he’s a Kane next season, but the fact he’s got that $3 million price tag on him right now and he’s not just sitting at home, I think it actually adds value to the asset for the Carolina Hurricanes.

You can watch the full episode here…