Hurricanes sign Alexander Nikishin to one-year contract

The Carolina Hurricanes announced Sunday they signed defenseman Alexander Nikishin to a one-year contract that will pay him $3 million.

“We’re glad that Alexander is returning to our group,” said Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky in a news release. “This has been a long process, but we look forward to him re-entering our locker room ready to contribute with the Hurricanes, as he did during a Stanley Cup championship season last year.”

Nikishin, 25, is coming off a 2025-26 rookie campaign that saw him finish with 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points. He ranked second in goals and points and was tied for second in assists among NHL rookie defenders.

He also had one assist in 17 playoff games last spring and helped the Hurricanes defeat the Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup.

He was a restricted free agent, but as a 10.2(c) player, he did not have the ability to sign an offer sheet. Despite an offseason of trade rumors, the two sides eventually agreed to a one-year deal.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported before the start of the regular season that Nikishin requested a five-year deal with an average annual value of $9 million. The 6-foot-4 defender did not take part in training camp and reportedly asked for a trade following the 2025-26 season.

According to PuckPedia, Nikishin will be a restricted free agent after the season and, if he plays at least 10 regular-season games, he’ll be eligible for both arbitration and an offer sheet.

Nikishin was taken in the third round by the Hurricanes of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. In six KHL seasons, Nikishin scored 54 goals and 123 assists for 177 points in 288 career regular-season games with Se. Petersburgh and the Moscow Spartak.

He holds the KHL record for most points in a single season by a Russian-born defender. In 2023-24, he had 17 goals and 39 assists for 56 points in 67 games.

He represented the Russian men’s hockey team at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and earned a silver medal.