The St. Louis Blues may not be chasing Connor Hellebuyck, but they could still end up holding the piece that unlocks the whole thing.
That’s the twist in the latest NHL trade chatter, with Elliotte Friedman saying on Monday’s edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast that the Carolina Hurricanes have become the most aggressive team in the Hellebuyck sweepstakes. Carolina, Friedman said, may be looking at a three-team structure because of Alexander Nikishin.
“Right now, Carolina is the most motivated pursuer. If Nikishin wanted to sign in Winnipeg, Hellebuyck would already be in Wolfpack country.
There are now some teams with permission to speak to Nikishin (who just changed agents), and the suspicion is it's because the Hurricanes want to see if there's a three-way available. I mentioned on Monday's pod that Nikishin is believed to be looking for a $9 million AAV over five years.
I had a few sources reach out to say they think that could be lower in the right situation. St.
Louis has been a consistent pursuer, and there are some who are surprised it hasn't happened. Nashville tried, but wasn't close enough for what Carolina wants.
The Hurricanes were disappointed the Rangers trade didn't work out and made it clear they would move Nikishin at their own pace. They are motivated now, so we'll see.
Nikishin is a talented player, but has zero leverage under the CBA.”
That’s where St. Louis enters the picture in a much bigger way than it might first appear.
The Blues have already been tied to Nikishin, with Reuters reporting before the season that St. Louis was among the clubs that had shown interest after his trade request. Now the path is a lot clearer, at least in theory: Carolina wants Hellebuyck, Winnipeg doesn’t appear eager to make Nikishin the centerpiece of a return if he won’t sign there, and the Blues want Nikishin.
That combination is what makes the situation feel alive.
In the simplest version of the idea, Carolina could move Nikishin to St. Louis, and the Blues could then send Winnipeg the kind of assets the Jets actually want in a Hellebuyck deal.
The rough framework would look like this:
Winnipeg → Carolina: Connor Hellebuyck
Carolina → St. Louis: Alexander Nikishin
St. Louis → Winnipeg: assets that help the Jets remain competitive
That is not a reported trade. No one has said those exact pieces are in place. But it shows why the Blues suddenly matter.
Nikishin, a 24-year-old defenseman, just finished a rookie season with 33 points, a plus-18 rating and 81 games played. Carolina’s challenge isn’t necessarily finding value for him. It’s finding a place where Winnipeg believes he’ll actually sign.
Friedman’s point was pretty direct: if Nikishin wanted Winnipeg, Hellebuyck might already be headed to Carolina.
If that’s the case, then sending Nikishin somewhere else starts to make more sense. And St. Louis fits that bill.
The Blues have a clear need on the back end, especially after Logan Mailloux was ruled out for at least eight weeks after hand surgery. A young defenseman with Nikishin’s ceiling would fit right into that gap.
For St. Louis, the appeal is simple.
The Blues don’t need to care about Hellebuyck at all. They only need to care about whether Nikishin is the kind of player who can anchor their blue line for years.
And Winnipeg isn’t looking for a throwaway return. The Jets missed the playoffs last season, and GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has made it clear they need the right answer, not just any answer. Hellebuyck requested a trade in August and was later suspended after not reporting to training camp.
That’s why a three-team solution could be the cleanest path if it exists.
A pile of futures might not be enough to satisfy Winnipeg. But a package from St. Louis that helps the Jets right away, while Carolina gets Hellebuyck and the Blues land Nikishin, changes the conversation.
What nobody knows yet is the exact shape of the return. That part is still a mystery.
What is clear is that St. Louis has moved from background interest to a possible hinge point in one of the league’s biggest potential trades.
The Blues don’t need Hellebuyck to be the team that matters here. They may just need to be the team that wants Nikishin badly enough to make everything else work.
In Other News...
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The procedure on his right knee was successful, and the next checkpoint is still a ways off, with Tucker due for another evaluation in six weeks. For St. Louis, it leaves one less option available on the back end right when the team would prefer to get a closer look at how its defensive mix might settle in. [Read more 🡒]
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What makes the standard feel so clear is how much it hinges on pace, not just promise. St. Louis can look competitive in stretches and still spend months trying to dig out of a hole, so the real test will be whether the Blues handle the seasons early checkpoints well enough to remain on track as the schedule tightens. The broad outline is simple enough, but the details will tell the story, and the franchise already knows there is very little room for drift once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]