One of the hottest names on the NHL market at the moment is Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin. His trade request has certainly made the news around the league. So, it’s only natural for fans to wonder if the Colorado Avalanche have a shot at landing the RFA blueliner.
But there’s a simple reason why Nikishin to the Avalanche just doesn’t make any sense.
The main driving factor in Nikishin’s desire for a “change of scenery” is the fact that he doesn’t seem to have a clear path in Carolina towards becoming the team’s number-one blueliner.
The Hurricanes have several other talented blueliners like Jaccob Slavin, Shayne Gostisbehere, and K’Andre Miller. And while Nikishin could earn himself a regular lineup spot, he’ll always be in the shadow of other defensemen.
That’s exactly the same situation he would face in Colorado.
With the Avalanche, there is no way that Nikishin will get the chance to be “the guy” as long as Cale Makar is on the team.
Makar is the indisputable blueline anchor for the Avalanche. So, that’s that.
And even if Nikishin were willing to come to Colorado, he’d fall behind Devon Toews, Josh Manson, and Brent Burns in the depth chart. As such, the best Nikishin could hope for now is being a third-pairing blueliner.
Yes, the Russian rearguard is a very talented player. But he would benefit far more from playing on a team that would be willing to give him a shot at being a top-pairing guy.
Acquisition cost just wouldn’t make sense for Avalanche
There’s another issue to consider with Nikishin. The Hurricanes are not going to let him go for a bag of pucks and goalie pads. They’re going to want top dollar for a top prospect.
So, you have to wonder: Would using whatever assets the Avalanche have make sense for a guy like Nikishin? That is, do the Avalanche really need him?
If it came to a choice, would the Avalanche make better use of their limited trade capital for a guy like Connor Hellebuyck than Alexander Nikishin?
Colorado’s blue line is hardly a weakness. But an upgrade in goal, especially if it’s the best goalie in the world, would make much more sense.
In that vein, acquiring, say, Quinn Hughes or Auston Matthews would be much more sensible than acquiring Nikishin. These are high-end players, similar to Hellebuyck, who could instantly upgrade the team's strengths.
I would venture to make a business case for Nikishin if the Avalanche had two fringe NHLers manning the third pairing. But bear in mind that Colorado has the NHL’s best defensive corps. So, it’s a tough sell on Nikishin, especially since he wouldn’t get the chance he wants to shine in Colorado.
He’s already got a Stanley Cup. As such, winning won’t be an excuse to take a spot further down the trough just to win.
That’s why the Avalanche would be better off spending their capital on a real upgrade. Otherwise, there’s nothing wrong with saving dry powder for when a massive deal lands in their lap.
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