Alexander Nikishin appears as though he could be on the verge of his NHL debut.
“When we say family, we mean it. Amateur scout Oleg Smirnov traveled to Saudi Arabia to help Alex navigate the city of Riyadh and the embassy appointment. And Earl Schwartz, who manages CBA compliance for us, provided intense logistical support and will be greeting him in New York and bringing him home to Raleigh,” general manager Eric Tulsky told Ruff.
Nikishin received his U.S. visa approval on Tuesday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported.
The six-foot-four left-shot defenceman put up 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points in 61 games for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.
Nikishin, 23, was selected 69th overall by the Hurricanes in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. SKA Saint Petersburg announced on Friday that the defenceman was granted his release to move to the NHL, and he proceeded to sign a two-year entry-level contract with Carolina.
The Hurricanes will finish second in the Metropolitan Division and host the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the playoffs.
Game 1 goes Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT, with every game available on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
