RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – With the Stanley Cup Playoffs on the horizon, the Carolina Hurricanes added a significant piece to its defensive lineup just in time for a postseason push.
The Hurricanes signed defenseman Alexander Nikishin to a two-year, entry-level agreement, the team announced on Friday. His deal will pay $832,500 for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, while also receiving a $185,000 signing bonus.
Nikishin played for SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia for the last three years, most recently serving as team captain. Both parties mutually agreed to terminate his contract so he could make the move to the NHL.
“We are grateful for Alexander’s time with SKA, a premier European hockey franchise, which helped him develop into one of the top prospects in hockey,” Carolina Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said in a statement. “His size and skill have allowed him to have a record-breaking career in the KHL, and we believe he will be an impactful player in the NHL.”
Selected as a third-round pick by the Hurricanes in the 2020 NHL Draft, the 23-year-old prospect is widely considered by many in pro hockey to be one of the best defensemen not in the NHL.
Nikishin finished as SKA’s all-time leader in scoring by a defenseman with 177 points (54 goals, 123 assists) and 166 penalty minutes in 288 regular-season games, also contributing 15 points (8 goals, 7 assists) in 35 career postseason contests. He was the youngest player representing the Russian Olympic Committee at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, winning a silver medal.
The Hurricanes open the playoffs against the New Jersey Devils, clinching home-ice advantage in the first-round series.
Four games remain for Carolina in the regular season, beginning with a home matchup at the Lenovo Center against the New York Rangers on Saturday at 3 p.m.