The New York Rangers have selected defenseman Alberts Šmits with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. 

Šmits, a 6-foot-3, 209-pound defenseman, is the No. 2-ranked international skater per NHL Central Scouting.

“Šmits is a tall defenseman with impressive mobility and smarts,” The Athletic’s Corey Pronman writes. “He can make a reliable first pass and has a big point shot, projecting to have quality amounts of offense at the top level. He isn't a super smart puck-mover, but there's enough touch in his game to project to be reliable with the puck in the NHL. 

“He defends very well due to his length and feet, while also competing hard and being willing to play the body. He projects as a top-pairing defenseman.”

The 18-year-old defenseman was the youngest player at the 2026 Winter Olympics, representing Latvia and recording two assists in four games while averaging 18:44 minutes per game.

Many consider Šmits to be the most pro-ready defenseman in this year’s class.

In 38 games for Jukurit in Liiga, Finland's top league, Šmits recorded six goals, seven assists, and 13 points.

The Vegas Golden Knights never shy away from making bold, aggressive moves. And after coming up just short in the Stanley Cup Final, they were bound to take a swing.

On Friday, they began the offseason by doing just that. The Golden Knights traded 25-year-old RFA Pavel Dorofeyev, their leading goalscorer for the past two years, to the New York Rangers. In return, they receive two picks in the 2026 Entry Draft— the 26th and the 92nd overall picks— as well as a conditional pick in the 2028 Draft.

For years, the Golden Knights have traded their futures for proven NHL players to help them win now, leaving them with an empty cupboard. Trading Dorofeyev for picks either allows them to refill that cupboard or gives them ammunition to load up and take another big swing.

Earlier this month, Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon sang Dorofeyev’s praises during his Media Day availability ahead of the Stanley Cup Final.

“Pavel’s a goal scorer– that’s what our amateur staff saw in him when we drafted him out of Russia,” said McCrimmon. “For me, I’m a big believer that the playoffs make you better as a player. This playoff has been really good for Pavel, and not only in terms of his production. He’s really playing well; to me, his game is growing as a really good young player.

“He’s been able to play with some really good players. Our power play was a big part of his production this year, which he was a big part of himself. Now he’s playing on the right side of Jack Eichel, who’s a real good player to play with. So, he’s made the most of his opportunities, but he really continues to improve and he is a natural goalscorer.”

Dorofeyev went on to score just two goals during the Golden Knights’ six-game loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, both coming during their 4-2 Game 5 loss.

Elliotte Friedman just reported that the Rangers signed Dorofeyev to a seven-year, $11 million contract, and the Golden Knights are a team strapped for salary cap space. They couldn’t have given Dorofeyev that deal without some serious roster surgery.

Believe there is a long-term extension coming for Dorofeyev w/NYR.

I think 7 years, approx $11M https://t.co/xAFmbYTErN

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 27, 2026

However, the Golden Knights’ past two seasons ended in the exact same way: getting shut out. Trading a 25-year-old sniper who led the team in scoring for the past two years is just one more bold move in a nine-year history of bold moves. 

Instead of becoming the hometown pick many envisioned, Carson Carels will now be a player the Winnipeg Jets have to game plan against for years to come.

The 18-year-old Manitoba product was selected sixth overall by the Calgary Flames in Friday night's 2026 NHL Draft, coming off the board before Winnipeg had the opportunity to make its selection.

The Jets had been heavily linked to Carels throughout the draft process and would have loved the opportunity to bring the Cypress River native home, but Calgary ensured that wouldn't happen.

Carels celebrated the biggest moment of his hockey career surrounded by family and friends back on his family's farm in Cypress River, Manitoba, making for a fitting backdrop as one of the province's brightest young stars officially became an NHL player.

The smooth-skating defenseman earned his lofty draft status after a sensational season with the Prince George Cougars. After recording 35 points the previous year, Carels exploded for 20 goals and 53 assists for 73 points in just 58 games, vaulting himself into the conversation as one of the top prospects in the 2026 class.

Some scouting services ranked him as high as third overall, while Elite Prospects' consolidated rankings placed him around sixth.

Carels also represented Canada at the World Junior Championship, recording an assist and a plus-three rating in five games while helping the team capture a bronze medal, further cementing his reputation as one of the premier defensemen available.

Instead of adding one of Manitoba's brightest young talents to their blue line, the Jets will now have to face him as a member of a division rival.

What could have been a storybook homecoming has instead become another compelling chapter in the rivalry between Winnipeg and Calgary.

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The Calgary Flames bolstered their blue line by selecting Carson Carels with the sixth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Carels plays for the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL) and posted 20 goals and 73 points in his second season in 2025-26.

The Cypress River, Manitoba product projects as a cornerstone defenceman and will continue his development at the University of North Dakota next season, a path that should allow him to round out his game before making the jump to the professional ranks.

Carels has all the tools to emerge as one of the biggest steals in the top 10. Viewed as a future top-pairing defenceman, he possesses the skating, hockey sense, and all-around game to log heavy minutes.

Paired alongside Zayne Parekh in Calgary’s future top four, Carels could help form a dynamic defensive duo capable of driving play at both ends of the ice.

On the night of the 2026 NHL Draft, the Rangers acquired a veteran forward.

The Blueshirts added winger Pavel Dorofeyev in a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. 

The Rangers will send out a first-round selection (No. 26) and a third-round selection (No. 92) in the 2026 draft and a top-10 protected 2028 first-round selection.

Dorofeyev, who turns 26 in late October, is an impending restricted free agent the Rangers will now have to work out a deal with. And he is coming off a solid season after he scored 38 goals with 27 assists in 82 games and was a minus-3 while averaging 17:36 time on the ice. It was his second-straight year of 30 goals, after scoring 35 in 82 games in 2024-25 to go along with 17 assists in 16:32 average ice time.

The Russian skater should really help New York in the power play. He scored 33 power-play goals with the Golden Knights over the past two seasons.

He also comes to the Rangers with a bit of playoff experience, with 31 games under his belt, including 22 last campaign during Vegas' trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. During that run, which came up short to Carolina, Dorofeyev had 16 points (12 goals, four assists) and was a plus-4 while averaging 17:04 time on the ice. He led the playoffs with his five power-play goals and his 58 shots on goal.

A third-round selection by Vegas in 2019, the lefty shooter has 92 goals and 57 assists (149 points) in his first 231 NHL games and is a career plus-11.

When the Chicago Blackhawks were handed the 4th overall pick as a result of the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, there was a lot of discourse about Ivar Stenberg falling to them with that pick. 

However, a couple of NHL trades and transactions that took place made it clear that it wasn't a likely scenario. So much so that the Blackhawks traded the 4th pick to the Buffalo Sabres in a deal for Bowen Byram. 

When it came down to it, the San Jose Sharks selected Stenberg second overall, meaning the Blackhawks read the room properly when they decided to move the pick. Kyle Davidson wouldn't have appreciated it if Stenberg fell to the Sabres at 4. 

From Sweden to San Jose. 📍 pic.twitter.com/AUabkEHtIp

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) June 26, 2026

With the fourth overall pick, the Sabres selected Daxon Rudolph, who was a surprise based on how most boards looked going into the draft. A majority of scouts had three or four defenders ahead of him, but Buffalo took him at four. 

DAXON RUDOLPH IS A BUFFALO SABRE ⚔️

We have selected defenseman Daxon Rudolph 4th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Details → https://t.co/pEh1fAl8tF#LetsGoBuffalo |@SenecaBuffalopic.twitter.com/NcgRwMdEEb

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) June 26, 2026

After a big year for the Sabres, they took the chance with a pick that they weren't originally supposed to have. The sky is the limit for Rudolph, but it wasn't the name that most were expecting to hear at that point in the night. 

For the Blackhawks, they are happy with Bowen Byram, who is going to be their number one defenseman. They needed to make a move to make themselves better going into Connor Bedard's fourth season, and they did that. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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The New York Rangers have acquired Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for the 26th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a 2026 third-round pick (92 overall), and a 2028 top-10 protected first-round pick. 

Shortly upon the trade was finalized, the Rangers and Dorofeyev agreed to a seven-year, $77 million contract extension worth $11 million AAV. 

Over the past two seasons, Dorofeyev has scored over 30 goals, while he’s coming off a career high of 64 points in 82 games. 

Through the Golden Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2026, the 25-year-old forward played a substantial role, recording 12 goals, four assists, and 16 points. 

It was heavily speculated that the Rangers were targeting a young forward who could instantly contribute to their lineup and now make a big splash with Dorofeyev.

The Rangers added a young premier talent during the NHL draft, and they also made their fifth overall selection. 

Dealing the Nos. 26 and 92 picks they would have made over Friday and Saturday to Vegas, as well as a top 10 protected first-rounder in 2028, the Blueshirts acquired a high-end goal scorer in Pavel Dorofeyev and subsequently locked the 25-year-old restricted free agent into a seven-year deal with an average annual value of $11 million. 

Dorofeyev is one of just 12 NHL players to score 35-plus goals in each of the last two seasons, a testament to his ability to bring production to the Rangers top six and power play. 

The move came after an offer the Rangers put in for the Ducks’ Mason McTavish lost traction as the first round of the draft approached Friday. It reportedly was one of two offers, and St. Louis ultimately landed the 23-year-old center in exchange for the Nos. 15 and 29 picks. 

President and general manager Chris Drury continues to seek ways to add youth and skill to the Rangers lineup. 

Dorofeyev is exactly the type of player Drury assured he would target in the Letter 2.0. 

Coming off a career-best season in which he recorded 37 goals and 64 points, Dorofeyev played a key role in Vegas reaching the Stanley Cup Final this season. The left wing’s impact carried over into the playoffs, where his 12 goals in 22 games were second only to Brett Howden (14). 

After breaking out during the 2024-25 season with 35 goals, the Russian sharpshooter has been Vegas’ leading goal scorer in each of the last two campaigns. The 20 power-play goals he scored last season were also good for the second most in the NHL. 

Before acquiring Dorofeyev and selecting left-handed defenseman Alberts Šmits fifth overall, the Rangers started their draft day with a prospect swap. 

Pending restricted free agent Brett Berard was traded to Montreal in exchange for defenseman William Trudeau. 

Trudeau, 23, is a 2021 fourth-round pick who has spent the last four seasons in the AHL. The left-handed blueliner has yet to make his NHL debut. 

A fifth-round pick in 2020 (134th overall) under the Jeff Gorton regime, Berard appeared in 48 games for the Rangers over the last two seasons. Despite an encouraging 2024-25 campaign in which he posted six goals and 10 points in 35 games with the Rangers, Berard was the last cut from training camp this past season. 

After returning from the Rangers team bonding trip in Rhode Island to a Hartford assignment, Berard went without a goal through his first 14 games of the AHL season. When he was recalled by the Rangers at the end of November, Berard didn’t do much with his opportunity. 

The 23-year-old wasn’t able to record a single point through 13 games. 

Montreal drafted Trudeau 113th overall out of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, where the young Canadian collected 90 points (20 goals, 70 assists) over three seasons with the Charlottetown Islanders. 

The Rangers are pleased with the forward prospects who emerged as options despite the lost 2025-26 season. Berard had fallen down the depth chart amid strong showings from Gabe Perreault, Noah Laba, Jaroslav Chmelar and Adam Sykora. 

Acquiring Dorofeyev and trading Berard were moves that threaded the needle on Drury’s initiative to reshape the roster and prospect pool. 

And the Rangers did it without forfeiting the chance to draft Šmits. 

After lots of speculation, the Vancouver Canucks have selected Caleb Malhotra third-overall at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. 

The forward is the first center off the board and the third forward after the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Gavin McKenna first-overall and the San Jose Sharks picked Ivar Stenberg with the second-overall selection. 

Malhotra, a six-foot-two two-way centerman, spent the 2025–26 season with the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL. In his first OHL season, the center scored 29 goals and 55 assists in 67 games, finishing the season tied with fellow Canucks prospect Riley Patterson with the 11th-most points in the league. He dominated during the OHL post-season, finishing within the league’s top-five in points with 26 in 15 games. 

For his efforts this season, Malhotra was named to the OHL’s First All-Rookie team. 

Prior to his time in the OHL, Malhotra spent one season with the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL. During this span of time, he scored eight goals and 18 assists in 44 games, before racking up 17 points in 21 playoff games. 

Malhotra has committed to Boston University in the NCAA for the 2026–27 season.  

The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy had Malhotra sixth on his final draft ranking, while fellow correspondent Tony Ferrari had Malhotra ranked second among all centers in this year’s draft class. 

The most widely-discussed element of Malhotra being drafted by the Canucks organization is the fact that he is the son of new Vancouver head coach Manny Malhotra. In the lead-up to the draft, both Caleb and Manny have emphasized that, in the event that Caleb were drafted by Vancouver, both would maintain a level of professionalism around the rink despite being father and son. 

Vancouver Canucks 2026 NHL Draft Target: Caleb MalhotraA deep dive into Brantford Bulldogs center Caleb Malhotra

As it stands, Vancouver’s work in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft is not done yet, as they still have one more pick to make at 24th-overall. 

Follow along with the Canucks' 2026 NHL Entry Draft picks via our tracker: 

Vancouver Canucks 2026 NHL Entry Draft Selection TrackerA list with articles on all prospects the Vancouver Canucks select at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, updated throughout the draft.

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

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After weeks of speculation regarding who Mike Grier and the San Jose Sharks would select with the second overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, we've finally got our answer.

Shortly after the Toronto Maple Leafs took Gavin McKenna first overall on Friday night, the Sharks' time finally came as Laila Edwards of PWHL San Jose stepped up to the podium and announced that the Sharks selected Ivar Stenberg with the second pick of the night.

After the Sharks traded William Eklund to the Ottawa Senators earlier this week, it solidified the consensus belief that Stenberg would be selected by the Sharks. Then, Grier made that a reality on Friday. 

Stenberg had one of the best seasons by an 18 year old in Swedish Hockey League history this past season, scoring 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points. That is the fifth-most points by an 18 year old in SHL history, behind players such as the Sedin twins, Markus Naslund, and Tomas Sandstrom.

As things currently stand, the Sharks currently hold two more first-round draft picks, the ninth and 27th overall picks.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Defenseman Brandt Clarke has agreed to a five-year, $37 million deal to stay with the Los Angeles Kings.

The Kings announced the deal Friday for Clarke, the eighth overall pick in 2021 who has grown into the new cornerstone of their defense.

Clarke had career highs of eight goals and 32 assists while playing in all 82 regular-season games last season for the Kings, who lost in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. He was third in the NHL with 185 blocked shots, and he finished fourth on the LA roster in scoring.

The 23-year-old Clarke spent parts of the past four seasons with the Kings, but has been an NHL regular for only two years. Los Angeles general manager Ken Holland still saw enough to lock down the mobile defenseman through the 2030-31 season.

The Kings hired Peter Laviolette as their head coach earlier this month, and Clarke's offensive skill fits well into the team's possible evolution away from its traditional defense-first mentality to a more aggressive club under Laviolette.

Clarke was the Kings’ most prominent restricted free agent heading into the summer, but Holland also must make decision on unrestricted free agents Andrei Kuzmenko and Scott Lawton.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

The Los Angeles Kings have secured one of their youngest talents for the future, signing defenseman Brandt Clarke to a five-year contract extension carrying a $7.4 million average annual salary through the 2030-31 NHL season. 

LA's decision to extend Clarke is a big deal that not only keeps him in Los Angeles as the franchise continues to build around its young core but also saves enough money to sign a legitimate left-shot defenseman to play with. 

WE HAVE A SIGNING TO ANNOUNCE!!!!! pic.twitter.com/D0ccJpKpQ9

— LA Kings (@LAKings) June 26, 2026

Clarke is coming off a breakout season in which he established himself as one of the NHL's emerging offensive defensemen. The playmaking skills, shot-making ability, and all-around physicality have helped Clarke improve every season since being drafted by the team. 

This season, the defenseman finished with eight goals, 32 assists, and 40 points, while playing all 82 games healthy for the first time in his career. A contract extension shows the trust the Kings franchise has in Clarke and will certainly see him take on a bigger role moving forward on LA's blue line. 

Originally selected with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NHL draft, Clarke has developed into a key piece in the Kings' rotation and a cornerstone of the franchise's long-term plans. 

Los Angeles makes its first major offseason move before free agency begins and will now look to continue building around its young core and take a major step toward solidifying its defensive units as it pursues Stanley Cup contention in the Western Conference.

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Well, folks, after a long, eventful week, the 2026 NHL Draft is here.

As of now, the Pittsburgh Penguins' draft board looks like this:

- Round 1, Pick 22
- Round 2, Pick 39 (acquired from Winnipeg Jets)
- Round 2, Pick 54
- Round 3, Pick 86
- Round 6, Pick 170 (acquired from Nashville Predators)

Follow along LIVE for updates on the draft as well as the Penguins' selections:

First Round

1. Toronto Maple Leafs - LW Gavin McKenna

2. San Jose Sharks - LW Ivar Stenberg

3. Vancouver Canucks - C Caleb Malhotra

4. Buffalo Sabres (from CHI) - D Daxon Rudolph

5. New York Rangers - D Alberts Smits

6. Calgary Flames - D Carson Carels

7. Seattle Kraken - D Chase Reid

8. Winnipeg Jets - C Viggo Bjorck

9. San Jose Sharks (from FLA) - D Keaton Verhoeff

10. Nashville Predators - C Wyatt Cullen

11. St. Louis Blues - C Tynan Lawrence

12. New Jersey Devils - C Alexander Command

13. New York Islanders - D Malte Gustafsson

14. Columbus Blue Jackets - LW Oscar Hemming

15. Anaheim Ducks (from STL/DET) - RW Nikita Klepov

16. St. Louis Blues (from WSH) - C Maddox Dagenais

17. Utah Mammoth (from LA) - LW Ethan Belchetz

18. Washington Capitals (from ANA) - C Oliver Suvanto

19. Los Angeles Kings (from UTAH) - RW Elton Hermansson

20. Buffalo Sabres (from EDM) - C Ilia Morozov

21. San Jose Sharks (from PHI) - D Ryan Lin

22. Pittsburgh Penguins - RW Liam Ruck

23. Detroit Red Wings (from Utah) - LW J.P. Hurlbert

24. Vancouver Canucks (from MIN) - LW/RW Adam Novotny

25. Ottawa Senators (from TBL) - RW Jonas Lagerberg Hoen

26. Montreal Canadiens (from VGK) - RW Gleb Pugachyov

27. Philadelphia Flyers (from SJ) - D Maksim Sokolovskii

28. Anaheim Ducks (from VGK/MTL) - LW Marcus Nordmark

29. Vegas Golden Knights (from MTL) - D Juho Piiparinen

30. Calgary Flames - C Jack Hextall

31. Nashville Predators (from CAR) - D Tommy Bleyl

Trade Board

- Boston Bruins acquire F JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth for the 2026 23rd overall pick and a 2028 first-round pick (from FLA)

- New York Rangers acquire F Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights for the 2026 26th overall pick, a 2026 third (92nd overall), and a 2028 top-10 protected first-round pick

- St. Louis Blues acquire C Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for picks 15 and 29 in the 2026 draft

- The Utah Mammoth acquire the 17th overall pick from the Los Angeles Kings for the 19th and 83rd picks in 2026.

- The San Jose Sharks acquire the 21st overall pick from the Philadelphia Flyers for picks 27, 62 and 120.

- The Detroit Red Wings acquire the 23rd overall pick from the Utah Mammoth in exchange for Sebastian Cossa.

- The Montreal Canadiens acquire the 26th overall pick from the Vegas Golden Knights for the 28th overall pick and a 2027 third-round pick.

- The Anaheim Ducks acquire the 27th overall pick from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for the 28th overall pick and the 128th overall pick.

- The Nashville Predators acquire the 31st overall pick from the Carolina Hurricanes for the 42nd and 57th picks.

What to keep an eye on

- At 13th overall, two higher-touted defensemen, LD Malte Gustaffson and RD Ryan Lin, are still on the board. If they make it to 15, the St. Louis Blues select back-to-back. Don't be surprised to see Pittsburgh look to move a few slots up.

- Welp, never mind. But we are at 14, and Lin is still on the board...

- Lin is still on the board at 17... and 18... and 19...

- This is starting to get very interesting. I'm high on Lin, Bleyl, Novotny, and Hurlbert, and there's a good chance one of those guys is going to be available at 22, especially with Elton Hermansson left on the board.

- Morozov at 20 is a bit of a surprise to me.

- Lin and Novotny are both in play for the Penguins with just one selection to go before they pick, and either of them would be my first pick out of the field left.

- The Penguins select Liam Ruck. Gotta think they're going to do what they can to get Markus, too. 

In the lead-up to round one of the NHL Draft on Friday night, the deals in Ottawa were coming fast and furious.

After re-signing defenseman Jordan Spence to a four-year deal worth $5 million per season, Senators president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios went out and acquired a backup goalie, getting Swedish netminder Samuel Ersson from Toronto.

Then he announced on Friday the club has acquired another Swede, forward Andre Burakovsky from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Ottawa’s sixth-round draft selection in the 2027 NHL Draft. Throw in William Eklund, who was acquired earlier in the week from San Jose, and the Senators are suddenly building Stockholm West.

“Andre adds skill and playmaking ability to our forward group,” Staios said in a club statement. “We are happy to add the pedigree of a two-time Stanley Cup champion.”

Cup pedigree is something Staios highly values. It was a thing two summers ago when the Sens signed David Perron, Michael Amadio, and Nick Cousins. It was part of why Staios added Lars Eller last summer, and it made its way into Staios' very brief explanation for why he made this deal.

Burakovsky has two Cup rings, winning with the Washington Capitals (2017-18) and the Colorado Avalanche (2021-22). He was dynamite during the Cup season with the Avs, putting up 61 regular season points.

And there's not much better than scoring an overtime goal in the Stanley Cup Final, as Burakovsky did in Game 1 of the 2022 Final.

After winning the Cup, Burakovsky signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Seattle Kraken. With 39 points in his first 49 games, he was on pace for 66 points with the Kraken until a bad groin injury ended his season.

Things were never the same after that.

The following season, he was hurt early in the year after Jacob Trouba surprised him with a needless, late shove into the boards.

After some stops and starts, he came back and finished the season with the Kraken, putting up 16 pts in 49 games.

He closed out his time in Seattle with 37 points in 79 games. He then had 33 points last season in 75 games with Chicago.

So now he's 31 with 771 NHL games under his belt and coming off two fairly ordinary seasons. He brings with him a $5.5 million cap hit for 2026-27, the final year of his contract. He does have a salary that's a little lower at $3.75 million.

His numbers certainly don't jump out at you to be that effective top six guy the Sens are looking for. In essence, he's been putting up Amadio numbers for Batherson money. As with Ersson, the Sens are taking a leap of faith, and they clearly have reason to believe the player can be more in Ottawa than he's been in his other recent NHL stops.

Burakovsky was originally a first-round draft pick (23rd overall) of the Washington Capitals in the 2013 NHL Draft.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

The Carolina Hurricanes are fresh off becoming Stanley Cup champions, yet the work to improve stops for no one.

The Canes have just three players left currently on expiring deals and one such player is rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin.

Nikishin had a strong rookie season from an offensive standpoint, putting up 11 goals and 33 points in 81 regular season games, but had his struggles, especially in his first NHL postseason.

The young defenseman had difficulties with defending, often getting tunnel visioned on one threat and either being too aggressive in the neutral zone or losing a player in a dangerous position.

Rod Brind'Amour also talked multiple times about Nikishin's struggles with keeping a consistent intensity throughout his shifts and that was something that came up throughout the year.

But again, he's got one of the best shots on the team and has a really good feel for the offensive side of the game. 

It was his first year playing in North America and I think there's still a ton of talent there to bet on, especially being that the Hurricanes don't have a defenseman like him in the system.

The 24-year-old Russian blueliner, who is an upcoming RFA, is supposedly looking for a big payday though from his first true contract according to Darren Dreger and the Canes are reportedly not too ecstatic to pay his asking price.

Dreger also stated that Nikishin wasn't happy with his role on the team, being a third pairing defenseman and being in and out of the power play rotation.

While price may be a sticking point for a deal in Carolina, the Hurricanes have been taking calls on Nikishin and reportedly offered him as part of a package for Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck according to Frank Seravalli.

The U.S. gold medalist has five years remaining on his deal and has long been considered one of the NHL's best goaltenders with three Vezina Trophies and even a Hart.

The NHL draft kicks off on Friday and we all know that's the time when deals get done, so time will tell where these negotiations go.

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