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Hurricanes' Alexander Nikishin contract saga boils over, agent doesn’t rule out trade

Modified Apr 25, 2025 18:25 GMT

There appears to be a rift building between Alexander Nikishin and the Carolina Hurricanes.

After leaving St. Petersburg SKA of the KHL to join the Hurricanes several weeks ago, it sounds like his reported contract agreement with Carolina may not have been officially signed.

It was originally announced on April 11 that Alexander Nikishin had signed a two-year, $1,850,000 contract with the Canes. However, that is now in serious question. Nikishin's agent, Alexander Chernykh, is certainly not happy with the current state of the situation and recently made some shocking comments on the matter.

Chernykh spoke on Friday, diving into the issues regarding why a contract has not been signed. Hockey News Hub shared what he had to say on X (formerly Twitter).

"Because Carolina is one of the most difficult teams in terms of management. Everything is difficult with them," Chernykh said. "Everyone is shocked and outraged. But, as I was told, this is never surprising, because Carolina always behaves like this and with everyone.

"At the moment, we cannot comment on the situation, because the club's actions defy common sense. If this continues, then Alexander will either go back, or we will ask for a trade."

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Alexander Nikishin was a third-round pick (69th overall) of the Hurricanes from the 2020 NHL draft. He's widely regarded as one of the best NHL-affiliated prospects and was expected to enter Carolina's lineup during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Teams would be lining up to acquire Alexander Nikishin

If Alexander Nikishin does become available via trade, expect almost every team in the league to have interest.

The 23-year-old has dominated the KHL (Russian professional hockey league) over the last three years, amassing 157 points (45 goals, 112 assists) in 193 games for St. Petersburg SKA as a defenseman.

At 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, Nikishin is a physical force with an elite offensive skill set that could translate to him immediately becoming one of the top blueliners in the NHL. TSN director of scouting Craig Button notably said, "Nikishin could play in the NHL right now, he's so good and he's going to help you in so many different areas of the game."

The contract situation between Nikishin and the Hurricanes bears watching over the coming days and weeks.

About the author

Jackson Weber is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with a Bcomm degree in Business and Sport Management from the University of Guelph.

Jackson has grown up as a lifelong Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are his all-time favorite players. Watching the Penguins win the Stanley Cup three times is an experience that Jackson will never forget. Years later, you realize how rare it is to see your favorite team win even once, so three championships were just incredible.

When not watching, playing, or writing about sports, Jackson loves to cook and is passionate about health and nutrition.

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