As Nikishin Rejoins Blue Line,
Hurricanes Still Face Enormous
Long-Term Decisions On Defense
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
(last updated Nov. 2, 2026)
The Carolina Hurricanes’ recent midseason signing of their own restricted free agent, 25-year-old Russian defenseman Alexander Nikishin, came in the aftermath of some serious complications.
The player’s then-agent had publicly badmouthed the Hurricanes for their handling of Nikishin’s initial arrival in the United States in April 2025. Then the defenseman played in only four of Carolina’s 15 playoff games that spring. Most recently, after a solid 2025-26 campaign that contributed to the team’s 2026 Stanley Cup title, Nikishin entered free agency and demanded contract terms the Canes were unwilling to meet.
Now Nikishin has a new short-term deal (at a much lower number), he’s been practicing with the team since Oct. 27, and he’s expected to make his 2026-27 debut any day now.
However, there remain a lot of moving parts when it comes to Nikishin’s longer-term future, with Carolina or elsewhere, just as there could be a lot of moving parts with the rest of the Hurricanes’ top-six defensive core at — or even before — the end of the current season.
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K’Andre Miller is a 26-year-old lefty defenseman the Hurricanes have under contract for $7.5 million per year for the next six and a half seasons. Jaccob Slavin is a 32-year-old lefty defenseman Carolina has under contract for about $6.4 million per year for the next six and a half seasons.
The Hurricanes also have soon-to-be 32-year-old righty defenseman Sean Walker, who typically plays with Miller on the team’s second defensive pairing, signed all the way through 2028-29.
If you made a list of the reasons why the Carolina Hurricanes are the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the culture and leadership of ninth-year head coach Rod Brind’Amour would be at the top, their handful of high-end players would be next, and the Canes’ financial discipline — meaning not overpaying for players, even highly productive players they might love to keep at a lower price — also would be somewhere on the short list.
Most NHL teams now have a single player making anywhere from $10 million to $18 million per season, and often that sort of big spending prevents a franchise from surrounding that superstar or superstars with the sort of quality depth you typically need to win the Stanley Cup.
The Hurricanes repeatedly have shown that they will pay for players where they see proven value, and forwards Sebastian Aho, Nikolaj Ehlers, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis all make $7 million-plus to $9 million-plus per season, just as the top defensemen — Miller and Slavin — are in the $6-7 million-plus range.
However, they just weren’t going to give Nikishin $8 million or $9 million per year when his current performance level still slots him on their third defensive pairing.
Most competitive athletes — including Nikishin — absolutely want to avoid missing a full season, especially in the middle of their prime. That’s one big reason why there is only one high-profile restricted free agent in the entire NHL who remains unsigned right now.
As was the case with Nikishin before he got his deal done, Edvinsson faces a Dec. 1 deadline to finalize an NHL contract, either with Detroit or — if the Red Wings trade his rights — with someone else.
If you don’t have a finalized NHL contract by Dec. 1, you are not eligible to play in the league for the remainder of the 2026-27 season, so keep that deadline in mind if you see Edvinsson’s name in the headlines for the remainder of November.
Right now, the Hurricanes view Nikishin as a big, strong body with a blistering left-handed shot and perhaps their second-best offensive weapon on defense, behind veteran Shayne Gostisbehere, who runs the #1 power play unit. The way the Canes like to play, though, Nikishin ranks well behind Slavin, Miller, Walker and Chatfield in terms of his defensive efficiency, at least for now.
If, two or three months from now, the Carolina coaches still aren’t sure how much they trust Nikishin defensively and/or Nikishin still cherishes the opportunity to play in a system that allows him more offensive freedom, perhaps a trade will be in order.
There is no doubt that Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky has a much more tradable asset now that Nikishin is under contract. Just remember that Nikishin again will be a restricted free agent when his current short-term deal is done, although the way NHL rules work, he will be eligible for both arbitration and an offer sheet from another team next summer, which was not the case this past summer, so the player definitely will have more leverage in that regard next time.
Finally, just as Nikishin will have some big decisions to make in 2027, so will the Hurricanes, especially as they contemplate the future of their defensive corps.
Again, the only three NHL-level defensemen the Canes have under contract beyond the current season (see full list below) are Miller, Slavin and Walker. The other five defensemen on the roster right now — Gostisbehere, Chatfield, Nikishin and depth guys Juuso Valimaki and Mike Reilly — all will be free agents next summer, and everyone except Nikishin will qualify as an unrestricted free agent.
Among those five pending free agents on defense, Gostisbehere and Chatfield are the franchise’s top priorities, but the Canes and Chatfield’s representatives decided to break off negotiations when they were unable to agree on a contract extension prior to this season.
Carolina would love to keep both Gostisbehere and Chatfield, but as with other highly respected defensemen — and even some fan favorites — in the recent past, such as Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei, the Hurricanes simply will not overspend in an attempt to keep someone.
As the Canes’ front office looks to build around Miller, Slavin and Walker on defense, all of this leaves a lot of questions swirling.
If both Gostisbehere and Chatfield stay beyond this season, for example, that becomes an incredibly firm five-man foundation on defense, but what if both leave? Do the Canes view either Valimaki, a 28-year-old NHL veteran from Finland, or Reilly, a 33-year-old journeyman, as anything more than a seventh or eighth defenseman when everyone is healthy? Do the Canes believe that 23-year-old right-handed defenseman Charles-Alexis Legault (who actually was on the team’s opening-day roster this year), 21-year-old right-handed defenseman Dominik Badinka (the franchise’s top pick in the 2024 NHL draft) or anyone else from their top farm team, the Chicago Wolves, or anywhere else in their system might be ready for top-six duty on defense by next season?
Not all of those questions have clear answers right now, which is one more reason that, while Nikishin is finally back on the ice, his longer-term future likely will need quite a bit more time to fully come into focus.
Carolina Hurricanes 2026-27 NHL-Level Defensemen
K’Andre Miller, LD, 27, $7,500,000 (signed through 2032-33)
Jaccob Slavin, LD, 32, $6,396,062 (signed through 2032-33)
Sean Walker, RD, 32, $3,625,000 (signed through 2028-29)
Shayne Gostisbehere, LD, 33, $3,200,000 (UFA after 2026-27 season)
Jalen Chatfield, RD, 30, $3,075,000 (UFA after 2026-27 season)
Alexander Nikishin, LD, 25, $3,000,000 (RFA after 2026-27 season)
Juuso Valimaki, LD, 28, $900,000 (UFA after 2026-27 season)
Mike Reilly, LD, 33, $850,000 (UFA after 2026-27 season)
REMINDER: Our Carolina Hurricanes coverage is presented by Randy’s Pizza — home of “The Largest Slice In The Triangle,” with soon-to-be eight locations, in Cary (the brand-new Parkside Town Commons location is coming in November!), Raleigh, Durham, Morrisville and Holly Springs. Stop by a Randy’s Pizza location today and get one of their great deals, maybe that 16-inch cheese pizza deal they have for just $14 every Wednesday after 4 p.m. here in November. Don’t forget to download the Randy’s Pizza app or check out their many other great deals at their website, Randys-Pizza.com.
