By Chip Alexander
The Carolina Hurricanes did everything they could to get defenseman Alexander Nikishin out of Russia and into the NHL as quickly as possible.
Nikishin, after resolving visa issues, flew to the U.S., joined the team and has gone through practices. But he has not played a game. And general manager Eric Tulsky said Wednesday the 23-year-old Russian, while agreeing to the terms of a contract, has not signed one.
Tulsky said Wednesday in a news conference the deal could be finalized soon and that if Nikishin was needed in the Stanley Cup playoffs, a contract could be quickly completed to get Nikishin on the ice. The Canes are facing the New Jersey Devils in a first-round series, with Game 3 set for Friday.
But that hasn’t stopped the speculation that something is amiss, and a Russian agent’s comments are partly to blame.
Alexander Chernykh, Niksihin’s Russia-based agent, stirred up emotions late this week when quotes appearing to criticize the Hurricanes’ handling of Nikishin’s contract surfaced in Russian publication RB Sport.
Chernykh indicated the Hurricanes are “one of the most difficult teams in terms of management” and added that “everything is difficult with them.”
Chernykh said the Hurricanes were “behaving incomprehensibly,” although saying it was not surprising in that the organization “always behaves like this and with everyone.”
Chernykh said Nikishin, who has been playing for SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, could return to Russia or that there could be a demand for a trade if the issue was not resolved.
Nikishin has North American representation with Quartexx Management and agent Ryan Barnes of Quartexx Hockey. Barnes could not be reached for comment.
Canadian reporter Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet and the NHL Network said he received a statement from Barnes saying Quartexx was working with the Canes on Nikishin’s contract status. Barnes told Friedman: “Our Russian partners are simply excited to see Alexander play for the Hurricanes, and so are we.”
The Hurricanes announced April 11 that Nikishin had “agreed to terms” on a two-year entry-level contract that would pay him $832,500 for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, with a signing bonus of $185,000.
Tulsky said Wednesday the contract had not been signed and registered with the league as the two sides “worked on some things,” without any further details.
“I expect we will sign the deal any day now,” Tulsky said. “If we felt like we needed him on the ice in the next game, we’d get the contract in and have him ready to go.
“There’s nothing getting in the way of him being able to play for us.”
In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.
