One of the Carolina Hurricanes' top prospects is one step closer to making his NHL debut.
Alexander Nikishin has received approval for his United States visa, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Tuesday.
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 drafted 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.
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.