Highly-touted Russian defenseman Alexander Nikishin is set to make his NHL debut for the Carolina Hurricanes in a crucial Game 5 against the Washington Capitals.
Reports indicate the star blueliner will dress for Thursday night`s matchup, a significant moment as the Hurricanes are on the verge of advancing to the Western Conference Final.
Nikishin`s inclusion in the lineup follows Carolina`s announcement shortly before the game that fellow defenseman Jalen Chatfield would be unavailable due to an undisclosed injury, which created an opening for Nikishin.
Carolina took a key step towards this debut by officially registering Nikishin`s contract on April 26, making him eligible to participate in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In late April, Nikishin`s agent, Ryan Barnes, indicated that they had been actively working with the Hurricanes on the player`s status, expressing excitement about the prospect of seeing him play for the team.
This statement addressed earlier reports originating from Russia, where Nikishin`s Russian-based agent had mentioned some complexities surrounding negotiations.
Last week, there were reports that the promising defenseman had received approval to travel to the U.S., although progress on this plan reportedly slowed down in the days that followed.
The six-foot-four left-shot defenseman had a strong season in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg, tallying 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points in 61 games.
Nikishin, 23, was originally selected 69th overall by the Hurricanes in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. SKA Saint Petersburg announced earlier this month that Nikishin had been granted his release to pursue his NHL career. The Hurricanes subsequently confirmed they had signed him to an entry-level contract.
With Carolina`s official contract registration now complete, Nikishin`s much-anticipated NHL debut is finally here.
