How long will it be before we see top prospect Alexander Nikishin in a Carolina Hurricanes sweater?
Well, not too much longer actually.
With SKA St. Petersburg's 5-2 loss to Dynamo Moscow today, they have officially been eliminated from the KHL playoffs, meaning that Nikishin's season has come to an end.
Nikishin, 23, is one of the top players outside of North America and many are predicting him to be a major piece for the Hurricanes in the years to come.
The 6-foot-4 blueliner is SKA's all-time leader in points by a defenseman, finishing his KHL career with 157 in 193 games, and he's a minute-munching fixture whether it be at 5v5, shorthanded or on the power play.
He set and broke the record for most points by a Russian-born defenseman in a single season (55 and 56) and in 26 postseason games, he had seven goals and 12 points.
He's captained SKA for the last two seasons at the age of 22 and 23, and he's a physically imposing presence who has been known to throw bone rattling checks.
Nikishin looks every bit to be a unicorn, top-end defenseman and now the wait is on to see just what he can do in the NHL.
Technically, KHL contracts run until May 31, but it has been reported that Nikishin already had an agreement in place with SKA to leave early once their season came to an end.
We're now just waiting to see if that proves to be true, but he is already being represented already by a North American agency.
Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
