Why Alexander Nikishin could be the missing piece for Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup push

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis(sellishockey)
Apr 11, 2025, 09:00 EDT
Why Alexander Nikishin could be the missing piece for Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup push
Credit: Smirnov Ilya

When the Carolina Hurricanes drafted Alexander Nikishin 69th overall in 2020, most people considered him another big, run-of-the-mill defensive defender.

And it made sense. You’re talking about a 6-foot-4 blueliner who, up until that point, had never remotely been one of his team’s most productive defenders. He had eight goals in his only full season of top-flight Russian junior hockey, but scouts were more interested in how he defended instead.

So the fact that he posted two of the most productive seasons in KHL history is wild. Suddenly, Nikishin became one of the top players outside of the NHL.

The Hurricanes have built a reputation for finding hidden gems in Europe. They have Noel Fransen and Simon Forsmark in the system, among others – two more prospects who were drafted much lower than they probably should have. Nikishin is the king of the crop, though, and someone who could make an immediate impact for the Hurricanes.

Nikishin’s numbers fell slightly this year with just 46 points, but he also dealt with some injuries. Overall, he was still one of the KHL’s best all-around defenders. SKA St. Petersburg was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round, ending Nikishin’s six-year KHL tenure. He had 54 goals and 177 points in 288 career games. That includes 157 points in his last 193 games over the past three seasons. No defenseman was in even a 30-point window of Nikishin’s production over the past three years combined. It was enough to lead all U-24 players, regardless of age.

That type of production seemed far-fetched in 2020. Nikishin made a name for himself as a hard-hitting, shutdown blueliner who could handle older, smarter competition in the KHL. Defensively, he never seemed to be too out of position.

Nikishin wasn’t a great skater, though, and his lack of offensive upside made it look like he was destined to become more of a sixth defender than anything else. But something seemed to click once he got to St. Petersburg three seasons ago. He had a new demeanor and improved work ethic that made him tougher to beat. There’s still some improvement to be made on the skating front, but it’s probably not going to be too big of an issue because the positives outweigh the negatives by a mile.

Nikishin might not have any NHL experience, but he might be exactly what the club needs in their postseason push. He’s expected to join the Hurricanes soon, ending a five year wait for the patient fanbase.

For starters, Brent Burns is barely an NHL-caliber defenseman at this point. Nikishin can cover a lot of what he brought to the table in his prime: primarily, size and skill with the puck. Nikishin is a left-shot defender, while Burns plays on the right side, so it’ll be interesting to see if that matters too much. Burns owns the longest consecutive games played streak in the NHL at 921, but sitting him in the playoffs won’t affect that.

Nikishin would already be a step up. Given the team’s recent struggles, especially in their own zone, they could use someone with his skill set. There just aren’t many hulking blueliners who can land a massive hit, go the other way and blast a shot like an RPG. It’s an electrifitying combination. Nikishin has some solid endurance, meaning he never really loses too much energy, even late in games. There’s still room to improve on the footwork side, but, again, it’s not bad, either.

One thing scouts noticed in his offensive uptick was his willingness to get the puck into more dangerous areas. A simple concept, in theory. But Nikishin used to be more of a perimeter guy who kept passes simple. The points started to come once he started going for high-risk, high-reward plays. Granted, NHL players will force you to make quicker, tougher decisions, which could prove challenging. But Nikishin has added more urgency in his puck game, especially this season.

Hurricanes fans have been waiting for Nikishin’s arrival for half a decade – they’re understandably antsy. They’re still a contender, but getting someone like Nikishin, who could also spend time on the power play, makes them much more lethal heading into their series against New Jersey.

There’s nothing like playoff hockey – and throwing yourself to the wolves like that isn’t easy. But Nikishin is uber-competitive – this shouldn’t be too big of a step up. He isn’t your average prospect given his age and pro experience. He’s well-refined and won’t take much seasoning like a junior or a college player would. It’s rare to get a player like this in the third round. It’s even rarer to see a player drastically change their trajectory as much as Nikishin has, too.

But really, who knows how far he can go at this point?

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