Alexander Nikishin of the Carolina Hurricanes is back -- finally.

The defenseman signed a one-year contract with the team Sunday that will pay him $3 million for the 2026-27 season.

Nikishin, who helped the Canes win the Stanley Cup last season, was a restricted free agent after last season and had been unable to come to terms with the team and was unable to play.

“We’re glad that Alexander is returning to our group,” general manager Eric Tulsky said in a statement. “This has been a long process, but we look forward to him re-entering our locker room ready to contribute with the Hurricanes, as he did during a Stanley Cup championship season last year.”

Nikishin, 25, was selected on the NHL’s All-Rookie Team in 2025-26. That came after he ranked second among NHL rookie defensemen in goals (11) and points (33), and tied for second in assists (22).

Nikishin appeared in 17 playoff games for the Hurricanes in 2026, earning one assist in the cup run.

With Nikishin and the Canes’ contract negotiations at an impasse, the Russian defender reportedly dropped his North American-based sports agency, Quartexx and selected Paul Theofanous as his new agent.

Theofanous represents current Hurricanes Pyotr Kochetkov, Ivan Ryabkin and Cayden Primeau, as well as top Russians Kirill Kaprizov, Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky.

Kochetkov signed a two-year contract extension Sept. 25 with the Canes, a deal that pays him an AAV of $3.95 million per season beginning in 2027-28.

Nikishin missed 2026 preseason

While the Hurricanes and Nikishin were unable to reach an agreement, Nikishin was not on the ice with the team throughout the preseason.

Earlier during training camp, Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour was asked if he anticipated having Nikishin play this season.

“That’s not a question for me,” Brind’Amour replied.

Canes management at the time said they would have no further comment on Nikishin’s status, which had been in flux since the season ended with the Canes winning the Stanley Cup.

A restricted free agent, he received a qualifying offer from the team and was not eligible to receive an offer sheet from other NHL teams. Negotiations began with Tulsky and the Canes, and stretched through July and August.

Speculation began to build that Nikishin would be traded, that he sought to go to a team where he could be paid more than the Canes were willing to offer, and take on a bigger playing role with more ice time.

LeBrun of The Athletic reported Monday that Nikishin had asked for a trade soon after the season.

Nikishin, named to the NHL’s all-rookie team after the 2025-26 season, played much of the season on the Canes’ third defensive pair with Shayne Gostisbehere. He averaged 18:11 in ice time in 81 games, finishing with 11 goals — four on the power play — and 33 points in the regular season.

Nikishin had one assist in 17 games in the playoffs and suffered a concussion in the first-round series against Ottawa that kept him out two games.

As recently as this past Monday, Rod Brind’Amour didn’t sound very optimistic about a Nikishin return while appearing on The Fan Hockey Show.

“If he’s here, great. If he’s not, we’re moving on,” Brind’Amour said to the show’s hosts, Matt Marchese and Mike Futa.

With goalie Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets also asking for a trade, speculation has surfaced that the two teams might look to work a deal — the Canes have goalies Brandon Bussi and Kochetkov, but Frederik Andersen left in free agency.

But, on Friday, the New Jersey Devils traded for Hellebuyck.

Nikishin’s up-and-down history with the Hurricanes

The reaction to Nikishin’s short time with the Hurricanes figures to be mixed, perhaps bittersweet, especially for Canes fans.

On one hand, Nikishin’s name is on the Cup. He helped bring the franchise’s second Stanley Cup to Raleigh. That’s a lasting thing.

Then again, there’s some unavoidable disappointment.

Nikishin was taken by Carolina in the third round of the 2020 draft (69th overall). Then 18, the Oyrol, Russia, native had played some KHL games and soon would become a KHL fixture.

Many Canes fans pined for the team to find a way to bring Nikishin to the NHL and into the lineup. Many heard stories of how the big D-man was considered by some arguably the best defenseman not in the NHL.

Nikishin had played for Russian Olympic Committee team in the 2022 Beijing Olympics. He had served as a team captain while in the KHL, and showed some offensive punch.

Canes fans finally got their wish after Nikishin’s team, SKA Saint Petersburg, was beaten in the 2025 KHL playoffs. His contract was terminated and Tulsky and the Canes quickly made plans to bring him to Raleigh.

The initial hope was that Nikishin be able to get in some regular-season games or AHL games before the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. The reality was Nikishin did not get into the Canes lineup until the playoffs were underway — his first NHL game was against the Washington Capitals in Game 5 of the second-round playoff series.

Nikishin signed a two-year entry-level contract in 2025 and played four games before the Canes season ended in the Eastern Conference final against Florida. Injuries to defensemen Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker resulted in Nikshin and rookie Scott Morrow being thrust into the lineup.

This story was originally published October 25, 2026 at 5:34 PM with the headline "Hurricanes, defenseman Alexander Nikishin finally agree on a new contract."