The Carolina Hurricanes plan to move forward without Alexander Nikishin in the fold.
General manager Eric Tulsky announced Wednesday that the unsigned restricted free agent will not take the ice at training camp on Thursday.
“Alexander Nikishin is not under contract currently, so he will not be at camp when we hit the ice on Thursday," Tulsky wrote in a statement. "We won't be commenting further at this time.”
The rookie defenceman had 11 goals with 33 points in 81 regular-season games. During the team's run to a Stanley Cup title, Nikishin had one assist in 17 games.
During an appearance on The Fan Hockey Show, head coach Rod Brind'Amour said that he wasn't going to dwell on Nikishin's status.
"Whether they figure that out or not, who knows?" he said. "That's, you know, if he's here, great. If he's not, we're moving on. So we don't have a choice there."
Carolina selected the 24-year-old in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft and made his debut during the 2024-25 post-season.
Tulsky said the team would not have any further comment on Nikishin's situation.
