The wait is over: Nikishin is on the way

[Ekiru]

They’re not talking about assigning him to the A for a season. It’s a matter of having a completely healthy D group so there’s no spot for him to slot into. Who are they going to send to the press box in order to play a rookie — Ghost? Chatfield? Walker? Orlov? Those aren’t pressbox players, they’re all solid second pair talent where Chatfield is the junior member with 250 games under his belt.

So they’re holding on to see if it makes sense to send him to the A for a handful of games as a matter of conditioning, rather than have him continue to be a black ace eating popcorn.

The only person in a position to yap about this is the KHL agent, who sees an opening to entice a high-paying customer back to his agency. Nikishin is not the one making noise here. He’s the guy in the room with Tulsky and RBA, and if he isn’t completely naive he understands that this was always going to be about slotting in for someone’s injury situation. It’s a sideshow drama.

I agree with all of this

Issue is it, unfortunately, isnt Nikishin's problem (well, or at least it doesnt have to be if he doesnt want it to be. He has that right)

I do think this gets resolved without much issue as you say; but Im not so sure Carolina having a stacked defense is a valid reason for Nikishin, but instead only for the Hurricanes

 

[bleedgreen]

It's pretty clear the Canes wanted him to come over A) to get used to the environment so he's a bit more comfortable next season and B) for playoff depth

Right now they don't need him and don't want to sign the contract so he can keep shape playing some AHL games. But if a regular gets hurt he's definitely gonna be in.

Doesn't seem that difficult to me. If they communicated something different then that's bad, but I have a hard time seeing Tulsky promised a roster spot for game 1 of the playoffs when their d-core is healthy and set.

There’s zero chance he was guaranteed that.

 

[Ezpz]

The question is, on the way to where?

 

[Garbageyuk]

The question is, on the way to where?

Back to Russia. It’s a round trip.

 

[tarheelhockey]

AHL Chicago’s season is over, and the Canes just lost in 2OT, so there is every reason to expect his contract to get wrapped up and possibly Nikishin in the lineup by Sunday.

 

[pandro]

Would be hilarious to see Nikishin plummet from the best player outside the NHL to a bum that no one wanted anyway on the Canes board in case he doesn't sign.

 

[ViD]

Would be hilarious to see Nikishin plummet from the best player outside the NHL to a bum that no one wanted anyway on the Canes board in case he doesn't sign.

The bums will be the Canes board if they f*** it up, he will play for someone else

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

They’re not talking about assigning him to the A for a season. It’s a matter of having a completely healthy D group so there’s no spot for him to slot into. Who are they going to send to the press box in order to play a rookie — Ghost? Chatfield? Walker? Orlov? Those aren’t pressbox players, they’re all solid second pair talent where Chatfield is the junior member with 250 games under his belt.

So they’re holding on to see if it makes sense to send him to the A for a handful of games as a matter of conditioning, rather than have him continue to be a black ace eating popcorn.

The only person in a position to yap about this is the KHL agent, who sees an opening to entice a high-paying customer back to his agency. Nikishin is not the one making noise here. He’s the guy in the room with Tulsky and RBA, and if he isn’t completely naive he understands that this was always going to be about slotting in for someone’s injury situation. It’s a sideshow drama.

If this prospect is as elite as stated i cannot imagine he cannot surpass the impact of any of those names you listed who are thriving in the Carolina system. Perhaps aside from veteran Orlov.

 

[bleedgreen]

Would be hilarious to see Nikishin plummet from the best player outside the NHL to a bum that no one wanted anyway on the Canes board in case he doesn't sign.

As a Canes I don’t think for a second there’s an actual issue with him being signed, and also as a Canes fan I never just assumed he’d be a long time Hurricane. There’s hope but not assumption.

You’re lumping a lot of generalities at the Canes board.

 

[bleedgreen]

If this prospect is as elite as stated i cannot imagine he cannot surpass the impact of any of those names you listed who are thriving in the Carolina system. Perhaps aside from veteran Orlov.

Not everyone assumes he’s elite. He’s been rated as a higher level prospect for a few years. There’s really only a couple of posters that project he’s going to be a monster top pair dman. He’s a mystery box, just one wrapped in pretty packaging.

I’m just hoping he’s a solid top four guy, we need it. If he’s more that’s fantastic.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Not everyone assumes he’s elite. He’s been rated as a higher level prospect for a few years. There’s really only a couple of posters that project he’s going to be a monster top pair dman. He’s a mystery box, just one wrapped in pretty packaging.

I’m just hoping he’s a solid top four guy, we need it. If he’s more that’s fantastic.

Big nasty top4 defenseman is like a pretty valueable asset in the NHL nowadays. And if he's even more than just this... Anyway, I don't understand the way this franchise works. I understood what Montreal did, I don't understand what Carolina does. Their explanation about AHL looks complete shit to me.

 

[Joe McGrath]

Big nasty top4 defenseman is like a pretty valueable asset in the NHL nowadays. And if he's even more than just this... Anyway, I don't understand the way this franchise works. I understood what Montreal did, I don't understand what Carolina does. Their explanation about AHL looks complete shit to me.

Well the AHL season ended last night and they immediately registered the contract today so what else do you think it was?

 

[Ezpz]

Well the AHL season ended last night and they immediately registered the contract today so what else do you think it was?

It might have been their idea but nikishins Russian agent wouldn't have said anything if nikishin was in the loop about that. No way he asked to have his contract terminated early to come over and play ahl games.

 

[RedHawkDown]

It's truly hilarious that they think the 23-year old captain of the best KHL team would want to come to NA and play in the f***ing AHL playoffs. It's insulting.

Nikishin should be fed top-4 minutes from the get-go. This is like if Minnesota asked Kaprizov to play in the AHL first.

 

[tarheelhockey]

If this prospect is as elite as stated i cannot imagine he cannot surpass the impact of any of those names you listed who are thriving in the Carolina system. Perhaps aside from veteran Orlov.

You can’t imagine why it would be an issue to scratch a veteran top-4 NHL defenseman during the playoffs?

We’re not talking about a team that has some scrub player needing to be cut. The most vulnerable defenseman in Carolina’s top 6 is Sean Walker, a 7-year veteran. Putting a guy like that in the press box has ripple effects with the team. Common sense says you wait till a spot is open, or the team has at least lost a game, before you introduce a rookie.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

It's truly hilarious that they think the 23-year old captain of the best KHL team would want to come to NA and play in the f***ing AHL playoffs. It's insulting.

Nikishin should be fed top-4 minutes from the get-go. This is like if Minnesota asked Kaprizov to play in the AHL first.

SKA barely made playoffs and got booted in the first round

 

[RedHawkDown]

SKA barely made playoffs and got booted in the first round

They've been a good team for years, you get my point. This guy isn't a kid looking for his first taste of pro hockey action. He's a professional that has been leading a very high-profile team in the 2nd best league in the world for several years. Even considering sending him to the AHL is a joke.

 

[tarheelhockey]

AHL Chicago’s season is over, and the Canes just lost in 2OT, so there is every reason to expect his contract to get wrapped up and possibly Nikishin in the lineup by Sunday.

As expected:

Nikishin offically eligible to play for Hurricanes in Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Carolina Hurricanes have officially registered an NHL contract for the defenceman on Saturday, making him eligible to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, per team reporter Walt Ruff.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[tarheelhockey]

They've been a good team for years, you get my point. This guy isn't a kid looking for his first taste of pro hockey action. He's a professional that has been leading a very high-profile team in the 2nd best league in the world for several years. Even considering sending him to the AHL is a joke.

It would have been a conditioning stint. Plenty of players have done that before. Landeskog just played AHL games for the first time in his career. It’s not a crazy ask of someone who’s just sitting in the press box waiting to make his debut.

 

[RedHawkDown]

It would have been a conditioning stint. Plenty of players have done that before. Landeskog just played AHL games for the first time in his career. It’s not a crazy ask of someone who’s just sitting in the press box waiting to make his debut.

You can't see the difference between Landeskog, a guy who hasn't played any hockey in 3 years, and Nikishin, a guy who just played 65 games in the KHL this season? He doesn't need conditioning. Insane excuse lol.

If this is the kind of shit the team was telling him, I'm not surprised at all by the agent's comments. Shayne Gostisbehere is a replacement level player. Sean Walker is a replacement level player. These guys do not deserve to be getting dressed before what is supposed to be your future #1D once Slavin starts to decline.

 

[CostaRica]

SKA barely made playoffs and got booted in the first round

His point still stands though.

 

[tarheelhockey]

You can't see the difference between Landeskog, a guy who hasn't played any hockey in 3 years, and Nikishin, a guy who just played 65 games in the KHL this season? He doesn't need conditioning. Insane excuse lol.

If this is the kind of shit the team was telling him, I'm not surprised at all by the agent's comments. Shayne Gostisbehere is a replacement level player. Sean Walker is a replacement level player. These guys do not deserve to be getting dressed before what is supposed to be your future #1D once Slavin starts to decline.

- These are not October games, it’s the playoffs. Rookies are not entitled to a playoff debut.

- Gostisbehere had as many points in the NHL as Nikishin had in the KHL. If you think that makes Ghost “replacement level”, perhaps you misunderstand the meaning of “replacement level”.

- Nikishin is hardly a lock to be a 1D. He is simply a very good prospect. If he were to be a solid second pair player — which is what Ghost and Walker are already proven to be — that would be a favorable outcome.

- As noted upthread, you don’t just wantonly kick solid veterans out of the lineup for a rookie during the playoffs. There’s a human element in play. Nikishin can and will slot in when it makes some sense to do so. The AHL option was purely about giving him some shifts rather than icing him on the sidelines.

- You seem not to understand that it was his KHL agent making this comment, not his NHL agent. His KHL agent is not in the room any more. His only incentive is to try and get Nikishin back to Russia, hence his yapping about it.

 

[RedHawkDown]

- These are not October games, it’s the playoffs. Rookies are not entitled to a playoff debut.

- Gostisbehere had as many points in the NHL as Nikishin had in the KHL. If you think that makes Ghost “replacement level”, perhaps you misunderstand the meaning of “replacement level”.

- Nikishin is hardly a lock to be a 1D. He is simply a very good prospect. If he were to be a solid second pair player — which is what Ghost and Walker are already proven to be — that would be a favorable outcome.

- As noted upthread, you don’t just wantonly kick solid veterans out of the lineup for a rookie during the playoffs. There’s a human element in play. Nikishin can and will slot in when it makes some sense to do so. The AHL option was purely about giving him some ice time rather than icing him on the sidelines.

Every other team with a good rookie player does it. This very playoffs, Montreal, Minnesota, St. Louis are doing it. You are dealing in pure cope if you think Nikishin is looking at that and not asking himself "what the f***" especially given he's years older and much more proven than all those players.

Your argument is super basic. Should McDavid also have been given no playing time if he started in the playoffs? Should Colorado never have given Makar time in his first stint in the playoffs?

I watched plenty of Ghost in Detroit. He's a good but not great player, and I'm not sure what you're trying to argue here. Ghost is not good in his own zone, and his soft and weak. Nikishin is a mean SOB and very good defensively as well as offensively. It seems you have less faith in your own prospect than the rest of the league does.

I sure hope the Canes front office feels the same as you; maybe Yzerman can steal the kid off you guys if you give him no playing time.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Every other team with a good rookie player does it. This very playoffs, Montreal, Minnesota, St. Louis are doing it.

Snuggerud - Winger, debuted during the regular season
Demidov - Winger, debuted during the regular season
Buium - Defenseman, 13 minutes per game

Nikishin is a defenseman who will debut during the playoffs on a team where the least-used D skates 18 minutes a game (more than any of the players above).

If there’s an injury and you have to do it, then you do it. But throwing a kid into 18+ minutes a game in the playoffs is not something you do electively when everyone is healthy.

You are dealing in pure cope if you think Nikishin is looking at that and not asking himself "what the f***" especially given he's years older and much more proven than all those players.

But he’s not years older and more proven than the guys HE is competing against for ice time.

He’s in the room with Tulsky and Brind’Amour every day. They just offered him his contract. What is there for him to misunderstand? You’re taking the word of a KHL agent who no longer represents the player as a reflection of the player’s personal thoughts?

Your argument is super basic. Should McDavid also have been given no playing time if he started in the playoffs? Should Colorado never have given Makar time in his first stint in the playoffs?

This is not McDavid or Makar and I assume you know that the comparison is ludicrous and are making it in bad faith.

I watched plenty of Ghost in Detroit. He's a good but not great player, and I'm not sure what you're trying to argue here. Ghost is not good in his own zone, and his soft and weak. Nikishin is a mean SOB and very good defensively as well as offensively. It seems you have less faith in your own prospect than the rest of the league does.

Again - Gostisbehere for all his flaws is a well established middle pair player with 700 games under his belt. If he gets scratched, it’ll be on the basis of his play last night — not because he hasn’t earned the right to be in the lineup.

I sure hope the Canes front office feels the same as you; maybe Yzerman can steal the kid off you guys if you give him no playing time.

Yeah, sure. The Red Wings are surely the organization that every player is itching to get to right now. That way they don’t have to worry about making a playoff debut any time soon.

 

[RedHawkDown]

Snuggerud - Winger, debuted during the regular season
Demidov - Winger, debuted during the regular season
Buium - Defenseman, 13 minutes per game

Nikishin is a defenseman who will debut during the playoffs on a team where the least-used D skates 18 minutes a game (more than any of the players above).

If there’s an injury and you have to do it, then you do it. But throwing a kid into 18+ minutes a game in the playoffs is not something you do electively when everyone is healthy.



But he’s not years older and more proven than the guys HE is competing against for ice time.

He’s in the room with Tulsky and Brind’Amour every day. They just offered him his contract. What is there for him to misunderstand? You’re taking the word of a KHL agent who no longer represents the player as a reflection of the player’s personal thoughts?



This is not McDavid or Makar and I assume you know that the comparison is ludicrous and are making it in bad faith.



Yeah, sure. The Red Wings are surely the organization that every player is itching to get to right now.

I guess here's where we disagree. He's surely not McDavid but I don't see any reason why the best defense prospect in the NHL can't make a similar impact that Makar did in his first playoffs. Is he going to become Makar level down the line? No, probably not, but Colorado didn't know what Makar would become when they gave Makar that opportunity, either.