RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes on Friday signed top prospect Alexander Nikishin to a two-year, entry-level contract that begins immediately.

Nikishin, 23, got his first NHL contract hours after he and his KHL club, SKA Saint Petersburg, mutually terminated that deal. SKA did the same with Montreal’s Ivan Demidov earlier this week.

“We are grateful for Alexander’s time with SKA, a premier European hockey franchise, which helped him develop into one of the top prospects in hockey,” Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said in a statement. “His size and skill have allowed him to have a record-breaking career in the KHL, and we believe he will be an impactful player in the NHL.”

It was not immediately clear when Nikishin would join the Hurricanes, who are locked into second place in the Metropolitan Division and a first-round matchup against New Jersey.

Nikishin captained SKA this past season, had 46 points in 61 games and is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer among defensemen.

Carolina drafted him in the third round in 2020, and Nikishin helped the Russians reach the Olympic final in Beijing in 2022. His contract is worth $832,500 a year — prorated this season — and includes a $185,000 signing bonus.

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