In a way, the Carolina Hurricanes don't have a ton of work that they have to do this offseason. Getting extensions for Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven done last summer helped settle some of the bigger questions that the team could face this summer, leaving very little that has to be done for the current roster.
The Canes have only five players on the active roster that are set to be free agents of some type, either restricted or unrestricted. Forward Mark Jankowski, defenseman Mike Reilly, and goalies Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi are the UFAs, while Alexander Nikishin is the lone RFA. Joel Nystrom would've been an RFA before signing a four-year extension on Friday.
For the purpose of this piece, I'll only be focusing on two of the five players. It feels like Reilly and Andersen will likely be gone this summer, and Jankowski's future is a toss-up. This leaves Bussi and Nikishin. With both playing in their first full seasons under vastly different circumstances, it's anyone's guess how their next contracts will look.
12 starts have turned Bussi into one of the best stories in the league
What a difference two months and an opportunity makes. Brandon Bussi was the last addition to the roster at the eleventh hour, being claimed off waivers in a preemptive move before Cayden Primeau was likely to be snagged. With the Canes, he has gone from a depth addition to the team's best goalie this season. It feels like he's making history with each start.
In his short time, Bussi has become one of five goalies to win nine of his first ten games, the fastest goalie to ten wins in NHL history, and is now tied for the longest win streak in franchise history with nine in a row. He's also second in the league in GAA (2.05), and his .911 save percentage is among the best in the league, but what could an extension look like for Bussi?
Bussi has only played 12 games in the NHL at 27 years old, so I'm not looking at him as the Canes' answer in the net long term. While his numbers are very good, Bussi is only facing around 23 shots per game, so he's not the most taxed goalie in the league. That being said, he's making the big saves when the moment asks for it, with a league-best .890 save percentage on high-danger chances.
Pyotr Kochetkov is the only goalie on the roster with a contract after this season, entering the final year of his four-year contract and making $2 million. For a team that is known for being as cost-effective as possible in the net, I can't imagine that they'd try to break the bank. It wouldn't be crazy to see them give Bussi a two-year deal in the ballpark of $1.5-$2 million.
Nikishin's game continues to grow as he gets accustomed to the NHL
At times, it still feels surreal that all of the patience shown by the Caniacs waiting for Alexander Nikishin to arrive has paid off. Making his unofficial debut during the playoffs, Nikishin has gone through all of the ups and downs you'd expect from a rookie. When the team decided to scratch him for a game in November, you would have thought it was the end of the world.
He started the season on a heater, recording points in his first four games, including his first NHL goal against the Ducks in the fourth game. Since this streak, Nikishin has suffered stretches without much scoring, but he has picked it up recently, with points in three straight. His playing time has fluctuated throughout the season, playing 21-22 minutes one night and 14-15 minutes the next.
While his scoring numbers are a little lower than I had anticipated, Nikishin's defensive game has been surprising in the best ways. Though not a perfect indication of his defensive prowess, his +11 is tied for the best on the team. He has laid a few bone-crunching hits throughout the season, too. He's also deployed in every situation, getting time on the second power play and filling in on the penalty kill.
Nikishin's next contract coming this soon puts the front office in an interesting spot. I wouldn't be surprised if they gave him a shorter-term deal for two or three years to see where he is around when he's due to become an unrestricted free agent. As for the money, I don't think $4 million is too steep a number, especially if his scoring balloons later in the season.