Alexander Nikishin’s unsigned status has left the Hurricanes staring at a real roster problem, because there isn’t an easy way to duplicate what he brought last season.
Nikishin was a major part of Carolina’s regular-season push to the Stanley Cup in June, and the former SKA St Petersburg captain was more than just a depth defenseman. He posted 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points in 81 games, led all Hurricanes defensemen in ice time, and gave the club a blend of offense, size and edge that was hard to miss. If he’s not on the roster, Carolina has to start planning for life without that package.
The offense alone is tough to replace. Nikishin’s 33 points ranked third among Hurricanes defensemen, behind Shayne Gostisbehere and K’Andre Miller, and that kind of production from a rookie third-pairing blueliner is no small thing. Just as important, he was available every night in a season when Carolina’s defense was battered by injuries.
His shot was a weapon, too. NHL EDGE listed his top shot speed of the season at 99.40 mph, and there were stretches when he was letting it fly from deep in the neutral zone before even crossing the blue line.
That kind of heavy slapshot created rebounds and gave Carolina a different way to attack when zone entries weren’t there. He was also one of the few Hurricanes who could deliver a truly explosive hit.
The numbers paint a complicated picture, but one that still underscores how much Carolina got from him. According to Natural Stat Trick, Nikishin had the lowest goals against per 60 among the six regular Carolina defensemen, and the third-best mark among the eight defensemen who played at least 200 minutes.
His expected goals against per 60 was on the tougher end, second-worst behind only Jalen Chatfield, which at least suggests the Hurricanes could improve on him defensively if they chose to go that route. But on the other side of the puck, Nikishin was elite by the team’s standards: his expected goals for per 60 was 3.25, the best of the six defensemen who handled the bulk of Carolina’s playoff games.
So how do the Hurricanes deal with it if he’s still not signed when the season opens?
One path is hoping for better health from Gostisbehere, who could absorb much of the offensive burden Nikishin handled. He doesn’t bring the same raw force, but he is still a dangerous offensive defenseman and a power-play quarterback. If Gostisbehere gives Carolina even 15-20 more points, the club can shift the rest of the workload to a player with fewer offensive demands, which is the kind of roster math the Hurricanes like to use.
There are also internal options waiting in the AHL. Joel Nystrom is one name that stands out as someone who deserves a look, while Charles Alexis Legault and Jusso Valimaki are also there as possibilities. But none of them offers Nikishin’s combination of offense, size and strength.
Legault may be the closest match physically. He’s willing to mix it up, throw punches and land hits, and he could help solve the awkward double left-handed third pairing. Even so, he doesn’t have Nikishin’s shot or the same ability to generate offense, which leaves him as more of a bruising presence than a true replacement.
That’s really the heart of the issue. Carolina can fill the spot, but replacing Nikishin’s full skillset is another matter entirely.
He affects the game on the penalty kill, on the power play, at five-on-five and with his raw physical force. The more realistic question is whether the Hurricanes can replace what he does as a team, not as an individual player.
Right now, that looks difficult to solve before training camp, even if this organization does have a habit of surprising people. Maybe the answer is a new contract for the restricted free agent.
Maybe the front office has something else in mind.
In Other News...
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For Carolina, the appeal is straightforward: a college standout becomes a potential pro option without much public noise around the transaction. The next step is the one that matters, since the organization is now positioned to bring Sardarian into the fold on a professional deal and see where he fits in the system. [Read more 🡒]
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The wrinkle is in the contract itself, which does not leave room for an NHL recall unless Carolina signs him to an NHL deal during the 2026-27 season. That makes Slavins return useful for the Wolves and a little less flexible for the Hurricanes, who now have one more layer to sort through as they keep building out their organizational depth. [Read more 🡒]