Hurricanes officially register Alexander Nikishin to entry-level contract
The Carolina Hurricanes officially registered defenseman Alexander Nikishin to an entry-level contract, Walt Ruff announced Saturday.
The #Canes have officially registered an NHL contract for defenseman Alexander Nikishin, making him eligible to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Eric Tulsky: “We had agreed with his agents to keep the options open for Alex to potentially play a game in Chicago at some point.… pic.twitter.com/m8Krs2t9Zw
— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) April 26, 2025
“We had agreed with his agents to keep the options open for Alex to potentially play a game in Chicago at some point,” Hurricanes General Manager Eric Tulsky said. “But with their season now over, it makes sense to officially register an NHL contract for him, and we are excited for his future with the team.”
The Hurricanes signed Nikishin to a two-year, entry-level contract on April 11, and according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, he would likely make his debut against the New Jersey Devils, whom the Hurricanes are facing in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With his release from SKA St. Petersburg secured, #Canes will soon sign top prospect Alexander Nikishin to his entry-level deal.
Visa process will take some time; his #NHL debut with #RaiseUp will be in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs against #njdevils.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) April 11, 2025
Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis says Nikishin can be a versatile asset for the Hurricanes.
“His past two seasons are among the best ever seen by a KHL defender,” Ellis wrote. “No blueliner is remotely close to touching his 140 points from the past three years combined. Oh, and he’s also a mobile 6-foot-4 rearguard, too – that doesn’t hurt. Many believe Nikishin can take on a big role in the NHL immediately next year, which would give the Hurricanes a significant boost.”
The 23-year-old was taken in the third round by the Hurricanes of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. This season, Nikishin appeared in 61 games with St. Petersburg SKA of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), Nikishin scored 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points in 61 regular-season games.
In six KHL seasons, Nikishin scored 54 goals and 123 assists for 177 points in 288 career regular-season games with Se. Petersburgh and the Moscow Spartak.
He represented the Russian Olympic team in 202