Carolina closes the gap with a short-term pact
The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract with defenseman Alexander Nikishin, resolving a standoff that had kept a restricted free agent away from the team for the opening of the season. The reigning Stanley Cup champions made the announcement on Sunday. During the impasse, the 25-year-old had been floated as a possible trade piece while he remained unsigned.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7][S8]
Eric Tulsky, the club's general manager, issued a statement saying the organization was pleased to have the player back and describing the negotiation as drawn out. He added that the team expects Nikishin to rejoin the locker room prepared to make the same kind of contribution he made during the championship run a season ago.[S1]
From third-round pick to playoff contributor
Nikishin entered the league as a third-round selection in the 2020 draft and developed into a highly regarded prospect. Injuries forced him into his first NHL action during the 2025 playoffs, a run that finished with Carolina losing to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final.[S1]
Last season he appeared in 81 regular-season games, recording 11 goals, 22 assists and a plus-18 rating while working on the third defensive pairing. In the postseason he dressed for 17 of the team's 19 games as the Hurricanes captured the second Stanley Cup in franchise history, following their first title in 2006.[S1]
