The New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes are talking an Alex Nikishin trade, per Elliotte Friedman on The FAN Hockey Show earlier today. Friedman noted Chris Drury offered multiple picks, including a first round pick, but that was ultimately rejected by Carolina General Manager Eric Tulsky. There is no word which first round pick was offered or when it was offered. Carolina is holding out for a roster player, though which one also remains unclear.
There are two schools of thought with a potential Alex Nikishin trade. First is the player himself, an offensive defenseman who put up 11-22-33 in 81 games last season who struggled on defense in his rookie year. It’s assumed that Mike Sullivan would be able to work on that within his system to get the most out of Nikishin. He’s a great puck mover and would be a solid 3LD with a defensively minded partner, possibly growing into a 2LD with enough time and structure.
Nikishin is a good puck mover with room to grow, and while his offensive metrics look fine enough, his heat maps could stand for some improvement. The Rangers don’t have nearly the same talent as Carolina, so there’s a lot of “what ifs” here.
The other thought process with a possible Alex Nikishin trade is who they are dealing with. The Rangers seemingly got hosed with the K’Andre Miller/Scott Morrow and a 1st swap, and it’s left a sour taste in many folks’ mouths. Rob brought this up on Live From the Blue Seats yesterday, and it’s a valid concern. The Rangers can’t evaluate defensemen to save their lives and Carolina is phenomenal at it. Perhaps trading for another defenseman Tulsky has made available isn’t the best idea.