Hurricanes Sign Impact Prospect Alexander Nikishin to 2-Year ELC

The news that all Carolina Hurricanes fans have been waiting for has been confirmed: Alexander Nikishin has terminated his contract with SKA of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). SKA announced on Friday morning that the contract termination of Nikishin will happen and that he will be joining the Hurricanes. After three seasons with SKA in the KHL, the greatest defenseman in the Russian top-flight league is making his way to Raleigh. SKA did mention that his KHL rights will remain with the club. The Hurricanes announced later that morning that they had signed Nikishin to a two-year entry-level (ELC) contract. What does this mean for the Hurricanes, and what should fans be excited for when it comes to the 23-year-old defenseman?

Nikishin Is Coming

The Hurricanes announced that the two-year ELC deal will pay Nikishin $832,500 for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, and he will receive a signing bonus of $185,000. After the deal was announced, Hurricanes’ general manager Eric Tulsky stated, “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. 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.”

This is a massive move for the Hurricanes as they now officially have their defenseman of the future to build into the young core with Nikishin.

In his three seasons with SKA, Nikishin tallied 157 points (45 goals and 122 assists) in 193 games. The last two seasons, he served as the team captain, starting in 2023-24 as a 22-year-old. High honors for the number one prospect in the Hurricanes’ system and the best player for SKA. The 69th overall draft pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft has been highly touted since the Hurricanes selected him in the third round. His overall game is through the roof on both sides of the puck. He is not known as a fighter, but has the defensive skills to lay hits when needed and play phenomenal defense. His biggest weapon is his offense, where he can use great edges, have solid puck control, and score from anywhere.

What makes all of this impressive is that he can do all of this with a huge frame. Nikishin is 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, which makes it tough for the opposition to stop a tank on skates. His footwork gives him the ability to be shifty and control the puck. The fact that he can do it all at both ends of the ice proves why he has been the top prospect for the Hurricanes the last couple of seasons. He is the quintessential Rod Brind’Amour-type defenseman with a huge offensive upside who can play great defense to boot. No matter the situation, expect Nikishin to play 5v5, power play, and the penalty kill if need be.