- Alexander Nikishin signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Hurricanes
- The defenseman had asked for a trade and sat out the first 13 games of the season
- Read below for what the deal means and when Nikishin can get his leverage back
The Alexander Nikishin standoff is over.
The Hurricanes announced Sunday that the defenseman signed a one-year, $3 million contract, ending a stalemate that kept him out of Carolina’s lineup for the first 13 games of the season.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report movement, tweeting minutes before the team made it official:
Here’s the Hurricanes’ announcement:
General manager Eric Tulsky talked about getting the deal done.
“We’re glad that Alexander is returning to our group,” Tulsky said. “This has been a long process, but we look forward to him re-entering our locker room ready to contribute with the Hurricanes, as he did during a Stanley Cup championship season last year.”
Nikishin made it clear this summer that he wanted out. We told you in September that he turned down a long-term offer in the eight-year, $5 million to $6 million range. A report earlier this month had his ask closer to $9 million a year.
No trade ever came together. Friedman said earlier this month that no deal was on the immediate radar, and Nikishin isn’t eligible to sign an offer sheet this season, so Carolina held most of the cards.
The 25-year-old was a strong rookie. He put up 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 81 games while averaging 18:11 of ice time, earning a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team. His 11 goals set a Carolina/Hartford franchise record for a rookie defenseman.
His role shrank in the playoffs, though. Nikishin had one assist in 17 games on the Stanley Cup run and played under 15 minutes a night.
The one-year term sets up a big summer. Nikishin picks up another year of service time and will be eligible for salary arbitration and an offer sheet next offseason, which hands him some of that leverage back.
Carolina sits at 9-2-2 and leads the NHL with 20 points. The Hurricanes host the Bruins on Tuesday, and Nikishin could be in the lineup.
