Few prospects in Carolina Hurricanes history have garnered the hype and anticipation that Alexander Nikishin has over the last few years. We'd been counting down the days until he was eligible to sign his entry-level deal for years before our dreams finally came true at the end of the KHL season in 2025. Finally, our patience had paid off.
Nikishin was selected in the 3rd round of the 2020 Draft with a pick the Hurricanes received from the Sabres for Jeff Skinner. One thing that immediately stands out about him is his size, which was true during his draft year as well. While he wasn't a highly-coveted prospect in his class, the Canes saw enough from the 6'4" defenseman to draft him as a project.
All Nikishin needed was a chance, which is exactly what he got with SKA St. Petersburg beginning in 2022-23. He led all KHL defensemen in points during his first two seasons, finishing in the Top 10 in the league in scoring both years. He earned the "C" for the team in 2023, scoring a career-high 17 goals during the campaign. Unfortunately, he couldn't get SKA over the hump in the playoffs.
Last season: 17-29-46 in 61 games (with SKA St. Petersburg)/0-1-1 in the playoffs
Nikishin began the season by being named the KHL's defenseman of the month in October, but it was followed by a month-and-a-half-long stretch with little production. Things started to turn back in the right direction around Christmas until a scary hit gave Nikishin a concussion and forced him to miss some time.
He returned to the lineup with a vengeance, scoring 16 points in his final 18 games before another injury ended his regular season early. This forced him out of the first few games of SKA's 1st-round series with Dynamo. Nikishin once again returned and made an impact. He scored points in three straight games before SKA bowed out with a loss in Game 6.
After finally making the jump to North America, the Caniacs had to wait a long time for him to finally join the lineup. The moment came during Game 5 of the 2nd round after Jalen Chatfield was injured in Game 4. It was clear there was still a learning curve, but he caught on the more he played. It culminated in Nikishin recording his first NHL point in Game 4 against Florida.
Bold Prediction: Nikishin wins the 2026 Calder Trophy
This might not be the boldest statement I've ever made, but the bar for rookie defensemen in Hurricanes history is pretty low. Jamie McBain owns the team's record for points by a rookie defenseman with 30, a number I expect Nikishin to surpass this season. I don't think 30 points is too high a bar for him to pass.
Depending on the site you use, Nikishin's odds to win the Calder Trophy are somewhere in the Top 5. Former SKA teammate and Montreal phenom Ivan Demidov is the current frontrunner, and it makes perfect sense why he and Nikishin are leaders in the pack. Unlike the players making the jump from juniors or the NCAA, Demidov and Nikishin are used to playing against men and former NHLers.
While Demidov might play a larger role with Montreal from the start, I expect Nikishin to make a seamless transition, especially after debuting in the playoffs and getting a full training camp to acclimate to the system. We know he has a lethal shot. Imagine what a full camp to set him up for success can do for his game. It should make for an incredible story to follow before October.