Alexander Nikishin has reportedly opened the door to Martin St-Louis and Montreal, putting a massive opportunity directly in front of the Canadiens.
The Hurricanes defenseman is reportedly interested in joining Montreal and would be willing to approve a move there if the two clubs can reach a deal.
That changes the entire conversation for Kent Hughes. Instead of trying to sell a player on Montreal, the Canadiens may already have the player's attention.
David Pagnotta reported that Nikishin was interested in exploring something with the Canadiens, even though nothing ultimately materialized at that stage.
The contract angle makes this even bigger. Nikishin is expected to command more than $9 million on his next deal, according to the report surrounding his situation.
"Montreal has become THE destination, especially in Canada. Marchenko wanted to come here, Hellebuyck is willing to come here, now Nikishin.
First time in my life that there's reports of players actively trying to work their way to the Habs."
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For Montreal, that would mean pursuing a major investment on the blue line rather than another depth addition.
Nikishin puts the pressure on Kent Hughes
The fascinating part is Nikishin's reported willingness to come. A player with control over his destination can complicate trade talks, but Montreal apparently isn't a destination he wants to block.
Now the pressure shifts toward Hughes and Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky. Carolina doesn't have to accommodate Montreal, and the Canadiens would still need to build a trade package strong enough to get serious attention.
There's also the long-term salary question. Montreal already has Noah Dobson carrying a $9,500,000 cap hit, so another expensive defenseman would reshape the club's financial structure.
But Nikishin isn't being discussed as a temporary piece. The entire attraction would be adding another major defenseman to a group built to support Montreal's young core for years.
And that's what makes this report so hard to ignore.
Montreal has spent years trying to build a roster players actually want to join. Nikishin's reported interest gives Hughes something every GM wants in trade talks: a potential star already willing to walk through the door.
The door appears open. Now Hughes has to decide how aggressively he wants to push through it.
Should Kent Hughes go all-in to acquire Alexander Nikishin?
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