Hurricanes sign top KHL prospect Alexander Nikishin

 

Alexander Nikishin, 23, received his first NHL contract on Friday after he and his KHL club, SKA Saint Petersburg, mutually terminated that agreement. SKA also did the same with Montreal's Ivan Demidov earlier this week. Nikishin signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes that starts immediately.

"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," 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."

 

When Nikishin would join the Hurricanes, who are guaranteed a spot in the first round against the New Jersey Devils and second place in the Metropolitan Division, was not immediately known.

Nikishin, who captained SKA the previous season, is the team's all-time top defenseman scorer with 46 points in 61 games.

In 2020, Nikishin was selected by Carolina in the third round, and in 2022, he assisted the Russian Olympic Committee team in making it to the Beijing Olympic final. Prorated for this season, his contract is worth $832,500 annually, with a $185,000 signing bonus.