Prospect Info: #69(nice)OA - Hurricanes select LHD Alexander Nikishin (Spartak - KHL)

[Wolfpuck]

What if 'Alexander Nikishin' doesn't actually exist? Have we been bamboozled all this time?

Taro Tsujimoto 2.0

 

[tarheelhockey]

3) Obtain VISA

4) Arrive at the airport with a credit card but no right to enter the USA

 

[tarheelhockey]

Apologies if it’s been said already, but is there a hard deadline for having him signed if we want to use him in the playoffs?

What I’m really asking: if the front office feels that he wouldn’t get ice time based on our current roster, could they take a “wait and see if he’s actually needed in meaningful action” approach to burning that ELC year?

 

[CandyCanes]

I have to imagine the Canes see a benefit in not bringing him over until next season, so we don’t burn a year on his ELC.

That said he’s such a high caliber player/prospect. Probably not something to mess with and you just get him over ASAP if possible.

I could also see a scenario where the Canes are currently scoffing at SKA’s asking price for them to terminate his contract. So they’re probably questioning why pay it, when he’s a free man come June. Plus they get the benefit of the 2nd year on the ELC for him not arriving this season.

None the less. I’ve got no doubt this will get done. Most likely soon. But if not soon, will happen this summer.

 

[bleedgreen]

Isn’t there an age where rookie contracts become two year deals? I can’t remember the rule.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Isn’t there an age where rookie contracts become two year deals? I can’t remember the rule.

Yes, it’s whatever age Nikishin is now.

We will sign him to a 2-year deal whenever he comes over. If year 1 of that deal is burned this year, we’d be paying him real, non-ELC money as early as 26-27.

 

[User13452]

I have to imagine the Canes see a benefit in not bringing him over until next season, so we don’t burn a year on his ELC.

That said he’s such a high caliber player/prospect. Probably not something to mess with and you just get him over ASAP if possible.

I could also see a scenario where the Canes are currently scoffing at SKA’s asking price for them to terminate his contract. So they’re probably questioning why pay it, when he’s a free man come June. Plus they get the benefit of the 2nd year on the ELC for him not arriving this season.

None the less. I’ve got no doubt this will get done. Most likely soon. But if not soon, will happen this summer.

You need to get him over here asap cause past morrow there’s no depth if this team went on a longer run. Orlov has been banged up it would be nice to have a guy who could slide in on the left side if he was to get hurt

 

[AD Skinner]

You need to get him over here asap cause past morrow there’s no depth if this team went on a longer run. Orlov has been banged up it would be nice to have a guy who could slide in on the left side if he was to get hurt

That’s kinda where I’m at. If there’s an injury on defense and there almost definitely will be, I’d rather this guy be the call up over morrow or whoever else

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

You guys are going to have to Legault of any fears about our defensive depth…

 

[To Be Determined]

If nikishin stays in putin land, chatfield is our left side depth, with morrow replacing him on the right. If two guys go down (or, just slavin) it just wasn't meant to be.

 

[QuebeCaniac]

Demidov was talking on the phone with a Montreal journalist when the Habs called him to confirm his new contract. Don't we have journalists who could talk to Nikishin?

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

Demidov was talking on the phone with a Montreal journalist when the Habs called him to confirm his new contract. Don't we have journalists who could talk to Nikishin?

Does Demidov speak English? Or was the Montreal journalist a Russian speaker or using translator? Nikishin does not speak English

 

[QuebeCaniac]

Does Demidov speak English? Or was the Montreal journalist a Russian speaker or using translator? Nikishin does not speak English

Apparently Demidov learned English… and the journalist was this local relatively unknown Marco Damico guy. He probably doesn’t speak Russian.

Edit: looks like Demidov is in Turkey waiting for his visa. Might take 24-48 hours.

I can’t wait to have Nikishin news!

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Demidov was talking on the phone with a Montreal journalist when the Habs called him to confirm his new contract. Don't we have journalists who could talk to Nikishin?

We barely have journalists in general. Our "beat writer" for the N&O doesn't even cover the Canes anymore. Cory Lavalette and Ryan Henkel do a good job, but expecting them to report anything outside of what's happening at practice seems like a big ask.

 

[bleedgreen]

Yes, it’s whatever age Nikishin is now.

We will sign him to a 2-year deal whenever he comes over. If year 1 of that deal is burned this year, we’d be paying him real, non-ELC money as early as 26-27.

I imagine paying off the team and arguing about this not so small issue is what we're negotiating.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

I'm sure the Canes would prefer Nikishin doesn't come over until next season so as to preserve the ELC, at the same time Nikishin would obviously want to get here ASAP and burn one of those years to get to his real money contract faster. Teams usually don't want to piss off their players by not obliging, you have to wonder if Dundon is an exception to this too.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Apologies if it’s been said already, but is there a hard deadline for having him signed if we want to use him in the playoffs?

What I’m really asking: if the front office feels that he wouldn’t get ice time based on our current roster, could they take a “wait and see if he’s actually needed in meaningful action” approach to burning that ELC year?

Any answer on this?

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

His team control is fixed because of his age. A 2 year ELC now = 3 RFA years. A full 2 year ELC later = 2 RFA years on the backside. Money saved the season after next would be recovered by Nikishin later.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

Any answer on this?

There is no hard deadline. If SKA had kept advancing but was eliminated a few days before game 7 of the Cup finals, Nikishin could in theory play that game if visa, contract release, Canes contract, travel, etc. was all sorted out.

That said, I'd be a bit surprised if this is the case. Tulsky has gone on record multiple times saying we want him here ASAP, and that matches all reports, not to mention our supposed offer of $1m a year ago to get him here early. I think the hold up is SKA or visa related. Or possibly even cold feet from Nikishin moving to a new country where a different language is spoken (even if just temporarily until the Canes' season is over).

 

[CanesFanBudMan]

Or he was playing through an injury and a medical assessment or something is holding it up

 

[robbieberns]

it could be any of those things or a secret different thing or a combination of multiple things

 

[Buenos Necas]

I wouldn't be surprised if they may actually prefer to go ahead and burn an ELC year so they could get a long-term extension done this summer. It'd be a high risk/high reward play, but if Nikishin was willing to play ball and they could get a good look at him the next couple months, I think this front office would be very open to that kind of move. Same concept as the PK deal, but obviously a more extreme version.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

I wouldn't be surprised if they may actually prefer to go ahead and burn an ELC year so they could get a long-term extension done this summer. It'd be a high risk/high reward play, but if Nikishin was willing to play ball and they could get a good look at him the next couple months, I think this front office would be very open to that kind of move. Same concept as the PK deal, but obviously a more extreme version.

Russian sources have already reported that the Canes are already discussing a post-ELC contract.

The injury situation is 100% something that could be holding this up a bit.

 

[Bub]

Russian sources have already reported that the Canes are already discussing a post-ELC contract.

The injury situation is 100% something that could be holding this up a bit.

Didn't he have a heart issue at some point? Has that been medically resolved?

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

Didn't he have a heart issue at some point? Has that been medically resolved?

That hasn’t come up since 2020 I believe. He couldn’t play the world juniors because of it but it was “resolved” shortly after and he’s been able to play internationally since then, including the ‘22 Olympics. I don’t think that’s a factor here