Alexander Nikishin may have reached the point where going back to Russia is no longer an empty threat.
The Carolina Hurricanes still control his NHL rights. They have made it clear they are not going to rush into a deal simply because the season is approaching.
And Nikishin is not under contract.
That combination has created a standoff that could become increasingly difficult to resolve.
The 24-year-old defenseman was one of Carolina’s most intriguing players last season, recording 11 goals and 33 points in 81 games during his first full NHL campaign. He then added another point in 17 playoff games as the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup.
Yet he remains unsigned and did not report to Carolina’s training camp.
Now insider Chris Johnston has introduced another possibility.
“At some point we’ll probably hear more talk about him potentially going back to the KHL; at this stage I don’t think we’re gonna see him back with the Hurricanes; [they] own his NHL rights for the next few years,” Johnston said on The Chris Johnston Show.
That is a remarkable development.
Because if Carolina and Nikishin cannot find common ground, there may not be an obvious short-term alternative.
Alexander Nikishin and Hurricanes Could Still Find a Way
It would be premature to assume this situation is finished.
The Hurricanes have considerable leverage, and that is precisely why a deal remains possible.
Alexander Nikishin is a restricted free agent without arbitration rights or the ability to sign an offer sheet under the current circumstances. Johnston previously explained that Carolina essentially controls his NHL rights and can afford to be patient.
That patience could eventually work in the Hurricanes’ favor.
Nikishin wants a significant contract, reportedly in excess of $8 million annually, while Carolina has reason to be cautious after only one full NHL season. He produced well offensively, but there were also defensive inconsistencies and questions about whether he has fully adapted to the Hurricanes’ system.
There is a middle ground.
A shorter bridge deal could allow Nikishin to prove he deserves the massive contract he wants while giving Carolina more time to evaluate him. Alternatively, the two sides could eventually find a long-term number that satisfies both parties.
Carolina also has plenty of motivation to solve the problem.
The Hurricanes are coming off a Stanley Cup championship and have retained most of their core. Losing Alexander Nikishin would remove a young defenseman who still has considerable room to improve from an already deep blue line.
The organization clearly believed in him when it brought him over from SKA St. Petersburg in 2025.
So there is no reason to completely close the door.
But the longer this drags on, the more unusual the situation becomes.
And that is where Russia enters the picture.
Going Back to Russia Could Be the Only Option
If Nikishin refuses to accept the contract Carolina is offering and the Hurricanes refuse to trade him, there is a very simple problem.
There is nowhere else for him to play in the NHL.
That is what makes Johnston’s KHL comment so significant.
Alexander Nikishin cannot simply sign with another NHL team and force Carolina’s hand. He cannot create an offer-sheet market for himself. And if the Hurricanes do not find a trade they like, they have little incentive to move him merely to end the stalemate.
At that point, something has to give.
Going back to Russia could provide Nikishin with the only realistic way to continue playing while the situation remains unresolved.
It would obviously be an unusual outcome. Nikishin spent three seasons with SKA before coming to North America and had already established himself as one of the KHL’s top defensemen. Carolina signed him specifically because it believed his size, physicality and all-around game could translate to the NHL.
But the NHL is not necessarily available to him right now.
And that could change the leverage in a fascinating way.
If Nikishin genuinely wants to play in the NHL, eventually he may have to decide how long he is willing to sit out while Carolina waits.
If Carolina genuinely wants him back, eventually it may have to decide how much longer it is willing to let one of its young defensemen remain outside the organization.
That is the stalemate.
Neither side necessarily has to blink today.
But the season is approaching.
Johnston’s comments suggest the KHL could become a much bigger part of this story if nothing changes.
And if Alexander Nikishin actually returns to Russia, it would represent a remarkable conclusion to a contract dispute that once seemed like a straightforward question of how much Carolina would have to pay its promising young defenseman.
For now, there is still time for the Hurricanes and Nikishin to find a solution.
But if they don’t, Russia may be where Nikishin has to look for his next move.
Alexander Nikishin May Have to Look Back to Russia