Carolina Hurricanes prospect snubbed right before game
Photo credit: NHL.com
Nikishin's presence in warmups suggests that the Hurricanes are preparing him for potential future involvement, but for now, he remains a healthy scratch as the team continues its postseason campaign.
Prior to Game 4, head coach Rod Brind'Amour provided Alexander Nikishin with a jersey, allowing the 23-year-old defenseman to participate in warmups alongside his teammates.
The Carolina Hurricanes made an interesting pregame choice.
Chris Cerullo from RMNB writes that according to Hurricanes reporter Walt Ruff, the skate marked Nikishin's debut on the ice before a game with the team.
Alexander Nikishin is on the ice for warmups for the #Canes.
So are the 18 other skaters (and two goaltenders) who are expected to play, but this is Nikishin's first time on the ice with the team pre-game.
So are the 18 other skaters (and two goaltenders) who are expected to play, but this is Nikishin's first time on the ice with the team pre-game.
Nikishin, a third-round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, traveled to North America after SKA Saint Petersburg was knocked out in the first round of the Gagarin Cup Playoffs. On April 11, he had his KHL contract with SKA terminated and signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Hurricanes.
"The Orel, Russia native posted 46 points (17g, 29a) in 61 games during the KHL regular season, where he served as the team's captain for a second straight year. Nikishin was teammates with former Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov and current Montreal Canadiens phenom Ivan Demidov." -Cerullo
When Nikishin first arrived in Raleigh, there were concerns about the Hurricanes not signing him to a deal right away. However, those worries were quickly alleviated once the AHL's Chicago Wolves were eliminated from the playoffs.
Here's what Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky told NHL.com when asked about Nikishin's development within the organization.
«We had agreed with his agents to keep the options open for Alex to potentially play a game in Chicago at some point. But with their season now over, it makes sense to officially register an NHL contract for him, and we are excited for his future with the team.» -Tulsky
The Hurricanes currently have nine defensemen on their playoff roster. The other two extra defensemen, Scott Morrow and Domenick Fensore, have already appeared in NHL games for the team this season, so it's unclear if Nikishin would be called up in the event of an injury to one of Carolina's regular defensemen.
| POLL | ||
MAI 13 | 30 ANSWERS Carolina Hurricanes prospect snubbed right before game Do you think Hurricanes' prospect Alexander Nikishin has a future in the NHL? | ||
| yes | 24 | 80 % |
| no | 6 | 20 % |
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