In case you missed it, the Carolina Hurricanes signed defenseman Alexander Nikishin to a one-year, $3 million contract on Sunday afternoon.
The signing comes after a long dispute regarding a potential trade of Nikishin, but the Hurricanes get somewhat of the last laugh by not dealing him and inking him to a team-friendly deal.
Ahead of the Hurricanes’ next contest with the Boston Bruins, Nikishin was seen with the team for the first time, which means he got the chance to catch up with the Raleigh media.
More NHL on Heavy: Mark Jankowski News Emerges Before Hurricanes-Bruins Clash
Nikishin ‘Very Happy’ to be Back with Carolina Hurricanes
Per Hurricanes reporter Walt Ruff, Alexander Nikishin is happy to be back with the team.
Ruff wrote (via X.com) on 10/27:
“Alexander Nikishin, through translator Andrei Svechnikov, says he’s very happy to be back with the team. He admitted that the last few months have been difficult, but he doesn’t carry any hard feelings over the contract negotiations and hopes to play soon.”
Head coach Rod Brind’Amour also commented on Nikishin being back:
“These things happen. We understand, and now we just move on. Move forward. He’s going to need time. His training camp, day one, started today… It’s good to at least get him in here and get going.”
It will be very interesting to see how long it takes Nikishin to get back acclimated to the new system. The good news for Carolina is that its team looks pretty similar to last year’s, so it shouldn’t take too long for him to get back up to speed.
2025-26 was Nikishin’s rookie season, and although he didn’t play much in the NHL playoffs, Nikishin played a strong role in the team’s blue line effort during the regular season.
To quickly recap the offseason drama regarding Nikishin, the 24 y/o requested a ‘change of scenery’ from Carolina after the organization’s Stanley Cup run in search of a new contract.
However, the Hurricanes couldn’t reach an agreement with any NHL team before the season, and Nikishin had been holding out ever since. He didn’t get the long-term deal he had hoped for, but it’s also entirely plausible that Nikishin repeats the cycle once this season is over.
More NHL on Heavy: Carolina Hurricanes Announce Pyotr Kochetkov News Before Bruins Game
Alexander Nikishin Sends Heartfelt Message After Return to Carolina Hurricanes