The KHL hosted its end-of-season awards yesterday and Carolina Hurricanes top prospect, Alexander Nikishin, was well represented throughout the night.

Nikishin, 22, was the KHL's points leaders among defensemen for the second straight season (56) as well as the league's plus/minus leader (+32).

The 2020 third-round pick broke his own record for the most points by a Russian-born blueliner this year and his 17 goals was another personal record.

He was the top defenseman and power play quarterback for SKA St. Petersburg who finished as the third best team through the KHL regular season.

As such, Nikishin was named as the KHL Defenseman of the Year as well as a member of the 2024 KHL All-Star Team.

The Russian phenom continues to prove himself as one of the top players outside of North America and with just one more year remaining on his current KHL contract, the hype for him is going to only get more and more real.

The kid's already a physical specimen, standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 215 pounds. He delivers hard body checks and the lefty has an absolute bomb of a shot.

It's hard to continue to wait on a guy many in the organization feel could immediately slot into lineup, but it should be well worth it once he finally makes the transition.