The Carolina Hurricanes made the day’s loudest move, and it came with a number that turned heads for all the wrong reasons. Alexander Nikishin signed a one-year, $3 million contract, a figure that stands in stark contrast to the $8 million or $9 million he had wanted. According to PuckPedia.com, there is no no-trade or no-movement clause in the deal, which means he can be moved anywhere.
The Hurricanes broke the news themselves, and the reaction was immediate. Nikishin had previously talked publicly about big-money expectations and trade demands, so the contract landed like a hard reset. He had set the franchise record for goals by a first-year defenseman last season and was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team, but now he’s tied to what looks, on paper, like a lowball.
There’s more trade chatter circling the league, too. The LA Kings are reportedly shopping for an impact forward, with GM Ken Holland looking to strengthen the lineup.
Meanwhile, there are again questions about whether the Columbus Blue Jackets can keep Zach Werenski. Sportsnet also noted that coach Rick Bowness has been pushing his team over a lack of heart, and after Kirill Marchenko wanted out and returned to town, Columbus laid down in a 6-2 loss.
The Blue Jackets remain a familiar source of frustration in the NHL rumor cycle, and the source of that frustration isn’t hard to find. Columbus has been a second-tier franchise for its entire existence, despite being in a good tax state and playing in a strong arena district. The club has also had more top-10 picks fail than most teams, and the closest anyone has come to changing the organization was John Tortorella’s run.
Elsewhere in the league, the Washington Capitals claimed Jack St. Ivany off waivers after Winnipeg opened space following the Connor Hellebuyck trade.
St. Ivany is an NHL defenseman, and the reminder here is simple: he needs to keep doing what he did in Wilkes-Barre, where he played like a bouncer and actually tossed players from the crease.
The latest 32 Thoughts podcast also featured a sit-down with Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff about the Hellebuyck situation and trade.
There was also another familiar scene in Vancouver, where Quinn Hughes was greeted with boos and anger in his first game back, then scored anyway. And in Seattle, the Kraken are facing a tougher stretch after losing all-time leading scorer Jared McCann for months because of a serious injury.
Back in Pittsburgh, the Penguins spent Sunday at their Halloween family skate and trick-or-treating, with players who are usually locked in and intense clearly enjoying time with their kids. That same sense of movement and growth carried into the hockey side of things as well, with more dressing-room conversations about the undercurrent of progress.
Those conversations centered on Ville Koivunen’s view of his current status and Arturs Silovs talking through what he has tried to improve, with some surprising answers coming from the Penguins locker room. Then practice brought another layer: one injured player was a full participant, and a new “reporter” asked a question so sharp that Dan Muse called it the best question of the year.
And yes, the Steelers got in on the action, too. They edged the New Orleans Saints 16-10 in a game that felt like it should have been more one-sided. The offense was only really excellent between the 30s, which made for another entry in the Dudes and Duds file after the win in Paris.
In Other News...
Penguins Forward Group Suddenly Has A Chance To Settle Down
The Penguins forward picture has started to look a little less chaotic, and Hendrix Lapierre is part of that shift. After opening as a healthy scratch, Lapierre is now skating on a line with Ville Koivunen and Evgeni Malkin, giving Pittsburgh a different look up front as it tries to find combinations that work early in the season.
Rickard Rakell, meanwhile, has acknowledged a slow offensive start, but hes still getting chances and the organization appears patient with where that production is headed. With general manager Kyle Dubas voicing confidence in Rakells future output, the Penguins may finally have a little runway to let their forward group settle in rather than constantly reshuffle it. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins May Have Found Something In Their Response To Recent Losses
The Penguins got a much-needed response in Nashville, rallying past the Predators in overtime after letting a third-period lead slip away. Even with injuries forcing changes to the lineup, Pittsburgh found enough push from a few different spots to stay in it, and the performance had the look of a team trying to reset the tone after its recent losses.
Head coach Dan Muse pointed to the effort and the progress the group has made since those setbacks, which matters almost as much as the two points. The lineup churn has opened doors for recalled players to contribute, and the bigger question now is whether the Penguins can carry that same urgency into the next game without the late-game scramble becoming part of the pattern. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Need Rickard Rakell Now More Than Ever
Rickard Rakells slow start has made his early-season line look a little quieter than Pittsburgh expected, but the underlying activity has still been there. He has been generating chances, shooting often and leading the Penguins in shots, which is why the breakthrough finally mattered even before the result around it did.
What stood out most was the timing. Rakells late goal gave the Penguins a much-needed jolt at a moment when the offense is already dealing with a hole from Bryan Rusts injury, and it only reinforced how central Rakell has become to keeping the attack afloat. For a team looking for scoring help in the short term, he suddenly feels less like a complementary piece and more like a necessity. [Read more 🡒]