In case you've missed my stance on Alexander Nikishin, I'm over-the-moon excited to see him in a Hurricanes uniform. Years of patiently, or impatiently, waiting are about to end as Nikishin's KHL season has concluded. SKA St. Petersburg's season finished in the first round on Sunday, falling in Game 6 to Dynamo Moscow.
Nikishin's overall numbers took a slight dip in 2024-25, though his goal-scoring touch remained intact. He finished with 46 points in 61 games, down slightly from his 56 points a season ago. However, he tied his career-high with 17 goals before missing the last few games of the regular season with an injury.
While the end of his campaign was cut short, Nikishin returned for Game 3 of their series, scoring a goal before adding an assist in their 5-4 2OT loss in Game 4. He scored a late power-play goal in an eventual Game 5 OT win. Nikishin did what he could to keep SKA's season going, blocking five shots and laying three hits in almost 29 minutes in Game 6, losing 5-2 to finish the series.
While learning about North Carolina was probably the last thing on his mind, he had good players with Hurricanes connections to talk to. He got to share a locker room with Evgeny Kuznetsov, Valentin Zykov, Sergey Tolchinsky, and Tony DeAngelo during the season, as well as 2024 draftee Timur Kol. Hopefully, they put in a good word about the team, the fans, the organization, and the area.
We've talked ad nauseam about what Nikishin brings to the team, but it bears repeating. Nikishin is a big guy, standing 6'4". He would be one of the tallest defensemen on the team, standing a little shorter than Brent Burns, who is listed at 6'5". He's not afraid to use his size either, laying some impressive hits. Not to mention, of course, his knack for scoring points.
The right steps started to be made in March when Nikishin signed with new management in North America. His agent, Ryan Barnes, currently represents a few Hurricanes, like Taylor Hall and Jalen Chatfield. A little over a week later, it was announced that SKA and his team had reached an agreement to release him once his season ends, instead of when the league season does.
One small caveat is that Nikishin's entry-level contract will only be for two years since he's 23 years old. That means, assuming he plays this season and the first year of the deal is used, he'll be due to get paid again following next season. Of course, the team could be proactive and get a deal done sooner than the 2026 offseason, but it's certainly something to consider if you're the Hurricanes.
With the defensive group already a little crowded, we might want to temper our expectations about how much Nikishin will play, if he plays at all. Regardless, just the thought of having him make the jump to the NHL is exciting on its own. He's been playing in one of the toughest leagues in the world in his early 20s and producing, which is incredible. Now, he gets to do it in Raleigh.