Hurricanes Rookie Ready For Big Debut

The Carolina Hurricanes got a glimpse of one of their important defenseman in NHL action ahead of his rookie season, and it lit a fire under the former KHL captain.

May 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (21) warms up prior to the game against the Florida Panthers in game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / James Guillory-Imagn Images

The Carolina Hurricanes went for size, skill and upside when they selected left-shot defenseman Alexander Nikishin in the third round (69th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.

Nikishin proceeded to play the next five seasons in the Russian Kontinental Hockey League, where his confidence and all-around game grew emphatically. The last two seasons, spent with SKA St. Petersburg, saw Nikishin wear the C on his sweater as the club's captain.

Not bad for a guy that doesn't turn 24 years old until October, and if that isn't impressive enough, Nikishin has posted three consecutive seasons with 45 points or more. He has done all this while playing a physical and smothering defensive game.

After racking up countless defenseman of the month honors, and then most goals, assists, and points by a defenseman dispersed over the past two seasons, Nikishin signed his first NHL contract.

Soon after he made his NHL debut, and with some NHL playoff experience, four games to be exact, Nikishin is looking to build on the experience and become an impact player on the Hurricanes' blueline immediately.

“I want to be as useful for the team as possible – without being the weak link."

Alexander Nikishin opens up on his first taste of NHL action and his goals for Year 1 with the Hurricanes.

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Thankfully for Nikishin, when he arrived in Carolina, he had the luxury of a few countrymen on the Hurricanes roster, like Andre Svechnikov and Dmitri Orlov. The latter of which was tremendous in helping Nikishin integrate into North American hockey, but also the Hurricanes' blueline, which has been one of the best in the league for some time.

May 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (21) warms up prior to the game against the Florida Panthers in game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / James Guillory-Imagn Images

Orlov, of course, won't be in Carolina this upcoming season, after the Hurricanes let him walk into Free Agency, and the San Jose Sharks wasted little time scooping up the veteran defenseman.

Nikishin, however, has incredible maturity for such a young age, a fact that won't be lost on the Hurricanes, who watched closely as he led a veteran-laden SKA squad. Though his team wasn't successful in the KHL playoffs, the budding blueliner posted three points in four games.

Though he chose to stay home in Russia to train and prepare for his first season, unlike former SKA teammate and fellow Calder Trophy hopeful Ivan Demidov of the Montreal Canadiens, his confidence and approach ensure that he will make an impact, despite not following his countrymen's footsteps.

Despite playing just four games, Nikishin will benefit from his first NHL training camp and the preseason grind, ahead of what he hopes, and Hurricanes fans believe will be a statement rookie season for one of their big pieces of their current and future defensive core.

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