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Hurricanes Rookie Defender Finding Game After Tough Debut

Though the start of this season was difficult, this Carolina Hurricanes defender is settling in and excelling.

Jacob Punturi

May 26, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (21) controls the puck as Florida Panthers center Jesper Boqvist (70) defends during the second period in game four of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
May 26, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (21) controls the puck as Florida Panthers center Jesper Boqvist (70) defends during the second period in game four of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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The Carolina Hurricanes were excited for several years about the potential of Russian defenseman Alexander Nikishin. A standout in the KHL, he made the leap to the Hurricanes at the end of last season. Thrown into the middle of a Stanley Cup push, he struggled to catch on quickly and stand out over four postseason appearances.

Through the start of this season, however, the Hurricanes defender is settling in and excelling. Playing in a top-four role, Nikishin is impressing through the first four games of the Carolina season. Averaging nearly 17 minutes of ice time, he’s been productive on both ends of the ice.

The Sky is the Limit

The offensive capabilities are already on display for Nikishin. In four games, he’s launched eight shots on goal, scoring once and adding three assists for four points. As his head coach Rod Brind’Amour stated after their recent victory, his raw talent is easy to see. With more experience and refining of his game, the sky is the limit for the talented blue liner.

”You definitely know the talent is there. We talk about it all the time - it’s the NHL, it’s a really tough league to just get thrown in there,” he said. “He’s learning the language, but I really think that he’s just kind of scratching the surface. There’s a lot of raw ability there and that was a big goal to kind of put the game away.”

Getting His First

Hockey players celebrate goa
Oct 16, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (21), right, celebrates with teammates after scoring his first NHL goal during the third period against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images / William Liang-Imagn Images

That raw ability and intelligence was perfectly exhibited as Nikishin recorded his first NHL goal. As the Hurricanes cycled the puck through the offensive zone, he noticed a soft spot in the slot opening up. He slowly moved down into a dangerous shooting position as forward Sebastian Aho gained possession of the puck. Aho fed a backhand pass into the slot and Nikishin fired a rocket of a shot behind Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal.

Bringing the Boom

Another crucial element of his game is his physicality and strength. As a top defender in the KHL, his bruising style of play was well-regarded and consistently established.

It didn’t take too long for that hard-hitting ability to translate in the NHL. Ask San Jose Sharks rookie defender Sam Dickinson, who was absolutely crunched by Nikishin in a recent matchup.

His defensive game continues to improve, and his physicality is a huge part of that. The Hurricanes have a positive goal differential of +6 in all situations with him on the ice. And while his offensive contributions are part of that, he has also been blocking shots while collecting 10 body checks through the first four games.

As the Hurricanes push for a Stanley Cup run this year, their rookie defender is going to be a key piece of the puzzle. He’s talented and the organization believes he’s just scratching the surface. As he settles in and continuously improves,

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

Jacob is a featured writer covering the Pittsburgh Steelers for Steelers On SI and the NHL for Breakaway On SI. He also co-hosts the All Steelers Talk podcast. Previous work covering the NHL for Inside the Penguins and The Hockey News.

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