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New York Times
13-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Possible free agent, trade and internal options for the Hurricanes to pair with Jaccob Slavin
RALEIGH, N.C. — Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin has had respect around the NHL for his play since he entered the league early in the 2015-16 season, but his performance at the 4 Nations Face-Off took it to new heights. A big reason for that? Slavin had the opportunity to play with another elite defenseman, Minnesota's Brock Faber. While Dougie Hamilton, Tony DeAngelo and Brent Burns all had their strengths as former Slavin partners, Faber's well-wounded game made them the best shutdown pairing of the tournament. Advertisement While Burns' return to Carolina isn't out of the realm of possibility, it's probably time for the 40-year-old to take a lesser role — he logged nearly 21 minutes per game last season — should he come back to Raleigh. And that means a new partner for Slavin. The Hurricanes have the cap space and assets to do just about anything they want this summer — assuming there are willing trade partners or free agents who want to sign in Carolina — and a top-pairing partner for Slavin is undoubtedly a consideration. The Hurricanes think they have a future star in Alexander Nikishin, and it should help that he will have the luxury of playing behind Slavin to start on the left side of Carolina's defense. With Dmitry Orlov expected to head to free agency, Jalen Chatfield seems like an ideal partner for Nikishin. Still, Chatfield should be considered an option alongside Slavin, given that he took on more minutes this year and didn't miss a beat in his third season as a full-time NHLer. Playing Slavin and Chatfield together, however, would put Carolina's two best defensive defensemen together, and Chatfield had 11 fewer points than Burns' 29 last year. Carolina could try Shayne Gostisbehere on his off side in an effort to add more point production to the top pairing, and Slavin would certainly cover for some of Gostisbehere's (often overstated) defensive shortcomings. That said, Gostisbehere — who was fifth on the team in scoring with 45 points, tops among defensemen — had a pedestrian 18 even-strength points in 2024-25. Sean Walker might be the best internal fit. He had an underwhelming 16 points — the fewest among the Hurricanes' top six defensemen — last season in his first year in Raleigh, but there seems to be untapped scoring potential, and Walker has shown a willingness to be aggressive offensively. Advertisement The wild card is Scott Morrow, who looked justifiably overwhelmed at times when forced into action against Florida in the Eastern Conference final but who fits the profile of an ideal Slavin running mate. Like Hamilton, DeAngelo and Burns before him, Morrow's game is centered on offense, and he had 13 goals in 39 points in 52 AHL games in his first pro season. He's also big and rangy, though foot speed can be an issue at times. It would be asking a lot to put a rookie in such a role, but Slavin also makes his partner's job easier every night. If Carolina is going to look for a right-handed defender to pair with Slavin, the trade market might be the best place to do it. Calgary's Rasmus Andersson would provide a short-term fix, and the Flames are loaded with defensive prospects. He has one year left on a deal that costs $4.55 million against the cap, so the Hurricanes could make a deal, assess the fit next season and see if the 28-year-old is a longer-term match. He's eclipsed 50 points once in his career and is accustomed to playing major minutes. Like Burns, he's been durable and hasn't missed many games over the past handful of seasons. If Andersson is on the market, however, the list of suitors will be long and could drive up the asking price. Carolina will be careful not to overpay for a player who could walk away next summer. Another intriguing name is Los Angeles' Brandt Clarke. The brash blueliner oozes skill and has a flare for the dramatic, and the Kings — who are even more defensive-minded than the Hurricanes — have been unwilling to unleash him, limiting him to less than 13 minutes per game in L.A.'s opening-round loss to the Oilers. He was dangled at the deadline, but a change in the front office — Rob Blake out, Ken Holland in as general manager — could mean the Kings' priorities are different now. Even if Clarke is a Carolina target, would he be ready to play top-pairing minutes out of the gate? The Hurricanes explored adding Erik Karlsson when the defenseman was traded from San Jose to Pittsburgh, and a deal for him might be more palatable with just two years remaining on a contract that costs $11.5 million against the cap. But after winning the Norris Trophy with a 101-point season with the Sharks in 2022-23, the 35-year-old barely matched that point total in two years with the Penguins (109 points while playing all 82 games each season). Like Slavin, Karlsson looked good in the 4 Nations tournament, so maybe there's more left in the tank if he gets to play alongside an elite defender. Advertisement New Jersey would probably love to get out of the final two years of Dougie Hamilton's deal, but that ship has likely sailed for Carolina, especially given Hamilton's injury issues and drop in production. Philadelphia's Rasmus Ristolainen (one year remaining with a $5.1 million cap hit) had a bounce-back season and would bring needed snarl to the blue line, but he's not exactly an analytics darling. The Flyers also reportedly turned down a Toronto offer for Ristolainen ahead of the deadline. The pie-in-the-sky option would be Buffalo's Rasmus Dahlin. While Dahlin is a lefty, he's adept at playing the right side and would surely welcome a chance to be on a competitor. The Sabres would be unwise to consider it, and even if they did, the return in a trade would cost the Hurricanes a boatload of assets. The name that makes the most sense is Aaron Ekblad, the former No. 1 draft pick who has been a reliable top-pairing defenseman for the Panthers throughout his career. Ekblad's priority is to remain in South Florida, and his cost on the open market would be exorbitant — and Carolina seems unlikely to pony up a big-ticket, seven-year contract for a 29-year-old defenseman. That said, his combination of size, skill and the ability to play in all situations would make him a fit. The rest of the market is thin. DeAngelo is again available, and John Klingberg has breathed life into his career with a good playoff run with the Oilers. Still, neither feels like an upgrade to Burns, or to what the team already has in-house. Dante Fabbro also revived his career after going to Columbus, but he too seems like a stretch as a top-pairing guy on a contender. The Hurricanes don't have their third-round pick in the 2026 draft, making a run at an RFA a little more difficult unless they're willing to give up four first-rounders on a contract worth more than $11.7 million or if the player's team is willing to discuss a trade. Edmonton's Evan Bouchard and the Islanders' Noah Dobson — the No. 10 and No. 12 overall picks in the 2018 draft, respectively — are young, right-handed defensemen due new deals. The Oilers will do everything in their power to re-sign Bouchard, but they're facing a cap crunch and also must consider that Connor McDavid is due a new contract after next season. It's unlikely Carolina would pay Bouchard close to twice the amount Slavin is earning on his contract (under $6.4 million). Dobson had a down year, which should make a deal with the Islanders easier (see Martin Necas' bridge deal), and there are also questions about his viability as a top-pairing player — though he certainly has all the tools. There are some left-handed RFAs as well — K'Andre Miller, Nic Hague and Bowen Bryam top the list —though that's not a need for Carolina unless the team plans to rethink its defense. Advertisement The most important thing to remember with the Hurricanes is that they're not scared of making waves, and there could very well be a major move outside of these options that would surprise everyone. The Islanders' Ryan Pulock comes to mind. (Photo of Jaccob Slavin: Kyle Ross / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carolina Hurricanes 2024-25 Exit Interviews: The Rookies
The Carolina Hurricanes' 2024-25 season came to a close earlier this week as the team lost in five games to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. On Friday, select players met with the media in Raleigh for their end-of-season interviews. Advertisement Here's the interviews from three of the team's rookies: Alexander Nikishin, Scott Morrow and Logan Stankoven. Alexander Nikishin (via Andrei Svechnikov) On what the experience of being in the NHL has been like so far: He said that he got a big experience. He's going to know now what to expect next season. He's very happy he came and played right now in the playoffs. On what he feels like he does well already at the NHL level and what he feels he needs to work on: He said that he doesn't want to mention the things skill wise because he saw the guys how they played, how they've been professionals and he said he just wants to try and catch them and try to be better than those guys. On what his plans for the summer are: He said that he thinks he's going to go home very soon. He's going to come back a couple weeks before training camp starts. Being here will help him. On what he's learned about the area and the organization so far: He said that we were here and that we helped him out a lot. He got to know about the city and area really quickly because we helped him a lot. That was it to be honest. On what it was like making his NHL debut against Alexander Ovechkin: He said that was an amazing experience and he didn't really understand in the moment what was happening. On being asked for one comment in English: Have a good summer. While Svechnikov's translation may not be the perfect reproduction of Nikishin's words and thoughts, here's a translation from user @Uggg_uggg on X that appears to make Nikishin's comments much more clear. 'A Tremendous Experience': Alexander Nikishin 2024-25 Exit Interview 'A Tremendous Experience': Alexander Nikishin 2024-25 Exit Interview The Carolina Hurricanes' 2024-25 season Advertisement came to a close earlier this week as the team lost in five games to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. Scott Morrow On how difficult it was getting thrown right into the series with Florida: It was really hard, fast hockey. I mean, they're three time finalists in a row for a reason. Really good team and it was a fast, physical series. I don't know how I'd quantify how hard it was, but it was certainly a lot of fun and I'm glad I got that opportunity. On what he learned from experiencing playoff hockey at that level: Just how simple their team played is why they had success. All their defensemen were big and could skate and our defensemen who played well that I could look up to against that and against their forecheck. Moving their feet and played physical and I think those are the two biggest things I need to work on. Being a little more physical and getting a little faster. On what he wants to focus on in the offseason: Just first and foremost, working on my skating and then trying to get a little bit stronger so I can be more physical, especially in the defensive zone. I mean, I still feel like, physically, I have a lot of room to grow and in terms of my body, I'm still a young kid. I think there's definitely more I can add as far as just off the ice and in the weight room So that will be a lot of my focus. On what were his biggest lessons from his first professional season: First of all, it was long. Twice as many games as I've ever played in college. I got called up at the right time where you're kind of hitting that late year and that gave me a lot of energy getting to come here. That was obviously very exciting, but just finding a way to maintain peak condition throughout such a long season where you're playing so many games, I think is definitely a challenge for everybody. It's something that I've never really had to deal with on this level. You're playing every other day and you have to find time to maintain what you've built all offseason and in the weight room. So that's something that I think is definitely a challenge, especially when I'm not just trying to maintain, but get stronger and quicker and all that because I still have room to grow. So that was probably the lesson that stands out the most. And then just how pro hockey and college hockey are such different styles. So just adapting. Every single game in college is very structured and physical and here, there's so many skilled players that you're defending and you have to read and react more than I thought I did in college. So jut working on that and learning how to do that was something I felt grew over the course of the season. 'I Have A Lot Of Room To Grow': Scott Morrow 2024-25 Exit Interview 'I Have A Lot Of Room To Grow': Scott Morrow 2024-25 Exit Interview The Carolina Hurricanes' 2024-25 season Advertisement came to a close earlier this week as the team lost in five games to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. Logan Stankoven On what he's learned about the organization: First class, for sure. I've enjoyed every minute of being here and the people within the organization and my teammates. I think I've been able to create a really good bond with everyone here. I love the city and just kind of the vibes around it. Looking forward to hopefully spending a lot more time here. On how long it took for him to adjust and feel like he was at home: I'd say about a couple weeks. Once you get settled in and become comfortable with the guys around you and your surroundings and how to get to the rink and whatnot, you settle in. I've loved every minute of it, which I've said before. I'm excited for what's to come. On what the summer will look like for him: A lot of hard work, that's for sure. For me, over the next couple of weeks, it's just going to be taking a step back, relax a bit, kind of recover and then from there, it's back in the gym and getting back on the ice again. Definitely going to look to get a bit stronger and faster of course. I think the game's getting a bit faster each year, so for me being a smaller guy, I think that's huge. Just keep working on the fundamentals and my craft. I think working on my shot is huge. A little bit of lower-body strength and whatnot. That'll be huge this summer. As much as it's tough losing now, once you sit back and look at the summer, I'm excited for the work to be put in and I'm already looking forward to next season and the future. On his fit: A lot of guys have said this, but being an opposing player, it's tough to come in here and play. The aggressiveness and the fans and how loud it gets in here, I enjoyed it as a player, but I think as a team, it's tough when the Canes get rolling. There's so much momentum in this building when they get going. To be on the team now, you really feel it and it's good to be on the positive side of it. It's a great place to be. 'I'm Excited For What's To Come': Logan Stankoven 2024-25 Exit Interview 'I'm Excited For What's To Come': Logan Stankoven 2024-25 Exit Interview The Carolina Hurricanes' 2024-25 season Advertisement came to a close earlier this week as the team lost in five games to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. 2024-25 Exit Interviews Jordan Staal Sebastian Aho Jaccob Slavin Jordan Martinook Jalen Chatfield Sean Walker Jesperi Kotkaniemi Frederik Andersen Seth Jarvis Andrei Svechnikov Alexander Nikishin Scott Morrow Logan Stankoven Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hurricanes Defenseman Recognized As KHL All-Star
What a year it's been for Alexander Nikishin. The touted prospect finally made his way to North America after years of hype and was even able get a few games under his belt in the NHL playoffs too. Advertisement The 23-year-old defenseman made his NHL debut facing one of his hockey idols in Alex Ovechkin, playing in Game 5 of the Carolina Hurricanes' second-round series against the Washington Capitals. While that game wasn't necessarily one to remember for him, Nikishin was forced back into the lineup due to additional injuries to the Hurricanes blueline and that's when he really started to impress. Despite facing the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final, Nikishin looked calm and composed and was even tasked with playing significant minutes. He looked every bit an NHL regular despite that inexperience. Advertisement But before he was in North America, he was finishing up his sixth season in the KHL. Nikishin's final year in Russia was another big one as the 6-foot-3 defender racked up 17 goals and 46 points in 61 games while captaining SKA St. Petersburg. The talented blueliner was an integral piece for SKA, playing 20+ minutes nightly and in all situations. As such, he was recognized at the end of the year as one of six players selected to the 2025 KHL All-Star Team. Former Hurricane Josh Leivo was also named to the 2025 All-Star Team as he set the KHL single-season scoring record with a 49-goal campaign. Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Sam Reinhart returns as Panthers aim to finish series while Hurricanes gamble on new kid Alexander Nikishin
Sam Reinhart returns as Panthers aim to finish series while Hurricanes gamble on new kid Alexander Nikishin (Image Source: Getty Images) The Florida Panthers are looking to end the series against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 and avoid having another game. The Panthers head coach, Paul Maurice, on Wednesday morning, created a bit of a stir with some significant announcements. Specifically, he said that the line-up for the next game would probably include Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola, and A.J. Greer. Sam Reinhart returns to strengthen power play Sam Reinhart, the Panthers' regular-season leader with 39 goals and 81 points, was absent for the final two games. His absence was definitely noticed, particularly on the power play. The Panthers have been 0-for-8 on the power play over the past two games, including 0-for-4 Monday in a 3-0 loss. Reinhart's return is expected to bring the team back to life and help them conclude the series strong. — theathleticnhl (@theathleticnhl) Maurice made it evident that the returning players are completely healthy. "Healthy players play," he said. "If you can't be better than the guy that I'm going to put in your spot, you're not playing." Niko Mikkola also returns after notching two goals in Game 3, the game-winner among them. A.J. Greer did not play in Game 3 but did have the game-winner in Game 1. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trending in in 2025: Local network access control [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Each of the three players returning has playoff experience and grit to offer to a Panthers team that wishes to close out the series at home. Also Read: Jaccob Slavin Excels As Carolina Hurricanes Hold Off Elimination, Dallas Stars Battle Serious Offense Crisis Carolina Hurricanes rely on Alexander Nikishin as injuries persist Things seem slightly tougher for Carolina. Defensemen Sean Walker and Jalen Chatfield did not attend the morning skate and have been out for Game 5. Chatfield has been unavailable since May 12, while Walker got hurt during Game 2. That leaves the Carolina Hurricanes relying on young defensemen once more. One of those youngsters is Alexander Nikishin, who was huge in Game 4. The 23-year-old rookie defenseman picked up a turnover and slid it to Logan Stankoven for Carolina's first goal, a game-changer. Nikishin spent most of the season in the KHL and is just in his third game in North America, but he's been outstanding. Coach Rod Brind'Amour was impressed by Alexander Nikishin's rapid development. "There's still a huge learning curve," he said. "But I guess his play has been a pleasant surprise. As Alexander Nikishin does not know the English language that much, Dmitry Orlov has been assisting him. The two Russians speak the same language, which makes it easier for Orlov to show him the way in the quick-paced NHL playoff play. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Hurricanes prevent series sweep by beating Panthers 3-0
Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Alexander Nikishin (21) and Florida Panthers centre Jesper Boqvist (70) go after the puck during the second period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
