What happened: Alexander Nikishin will not attend Carolina Hurricanes training camp when the club opens Thursday because he remains unsigned as a restricted free agent. His absence keeps an offseason contract stalemate alive and extends a dispute that has carried past the end of last season.

Why it matters: Carolina opens camp with one of its unresolved roster decisions still off the ice, adding pressure to settle the situation before the 2026-27 season gets moving. The impasse also follows last week's report that Nikishin requested a trade from the Hurricanes, leaving both a new deal and a move in play.

What to watch: The next development to watch is whether contract talks restart before preseason work ramps up. If the stalemate holds, any trade activity around Nikishin will draw immediate attention.