Eric Tulsky, general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL, announced that the organization has reached an agreement with defenseman Alexander Nikishin. The contract, effective for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, is a two-year, entry-level deal that will pay Nikishin $832,500 annually and includes a $185,000 signing bonus.
Eric Tulsky expressed gratitude towards SKA, Nikishin’s previous team in the KHL, stating, “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.” He further noted, “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.”
The 23-year-old defenseman from Orel, Russia, contributed significantly to SKA St. Petersburg as a captain in the 2024-25 season. He scored 17 goals and provided 29 assists in 61 regular-season games, placing him second among KHL defensemen in goals and third in points. Nikishin also played four playoff games, scoring two goals and one assist.
Throughout his career with SKA, Nikishin established himself as the team’s all-time leading scorer among defensemen, accumulating 177 points over 288 regular-season games, alongside 15 points in 35 playoff games. In the 2022-23 KHL season, he set a single-season scoring record for a Russian-born defenseman, a record he broke again the next season.
Recognized for his performance, Nikishin was named KHL Defenseman of the Month seven times over the past three seasons. Drafted by the Hurricanes in 2020 as the 69th overall pick, he represented Russia at the 2022 Olympic Games, securing a silver medal.
