Connor Hellebuyck could end up in Carolina, with Elliotte Friedman floating a three-way deal that runs through the Winnipeg Jets and a Hurricanes defenseman.
Friedman suggested the Hurricanes could move Nikishin and parlay that into Hellebuyck.
The three-way framing matters. In that setup, Nikishin could land somewhere else entirely, with the pieces rerouted to Winnipeg.
Luke Evangelista's name also came up as a possible return for Nikishin. He scored twice, once on the power play, for New Jersey on Saturday.
Darren Dreger added his own twist, pushing the idea that Winnipeg should take the best offer, even if it's built around futures.
That lines up with what Dreger said earlier this week. He described a Jets team "not as committed to needing a goaltender back," one that could lean on Stuart Skinner.
Predators waive Nick Perbix and Ilya Lyubushkin as Nikishin chatter grows
Nashville may have tipped something off. The Predators placed Nick Perbix and Ilya Lyubushkin on waivers.
That raised eyebrows. Clearing space on an already thin blue line only makes sense, one observer wrote, if there's "some Nikishin news coming soon."
Lyubushkin logged 15:02 in Saturday's 6-0 home loss to Carolina, finishing minus-1.
Carolina is the cleanest landing spot yet. It's a US market, which checks Dreger's earlier box, and Rod Brind'Amour's team just blanked Nashville.
Three-way trades are like splitting a dinner bill three ways when one person ordered the lobster. Somebody always walks out feeling shortchanged.
Hellebuyck's $8,500,000 cap hit is the number any buyer has to absorb. The Jets already have Kyle Connor at $12,000,000.
Winnipeg's crease looked shaky in the preseason finale, a 5-2 loss in Colorado that dropped Scott Arniel's group to 1-2-1.
Eric Tulsky's Hurricanes open Tuesday at home against Florida. The Jets start October 2 against Boston.
If this three-way is real, it has to come together fast. Every day it doesn't, the Jets get closer to opening night with Hellebuyck's future hanging over the room.
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Should the Jets accept a futures-heavy package for Connor Hellebuyck?
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