After practicing with Shayne Gostisbehere at morning skate, Alexander Nikishin looks to be ready to return from injury, provide a physical and offensive spark for Carolina’s blue line in Philadelphia.
It's been nearly two week since Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin suffered a concussion following a hit from Tyler Kleven in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators.
Since then though, the rookie blueliner has been consistently practicing with the team for over a week and even took warmups in Game 2.
Despite that, the team kept him out for Game 1 and 2 for health related reasons, just to make sure he was full recovered.
"We're always cautious with those things," said Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour.
However, it seems like they're finally ready for him to get back into the action.
At Thursday's morning skate in Philadelphia, Nikishin took to the ice alongside his normal defensive partner in Shayne Gostisbehere, a spot that was previously occupied by Mike Reilly while the Russian was injured.
It's a promising sign that he could be in the lineup for the 8 p.m. puck drop and Brind'Amour stated that they're hopeful he'll play, but that they're still "not 100%" sure.
Nikishin getting back would be a big boost for the Hurricanes in multiple areas of the game.
"He's big and strong, can play physical, can move the puck, shoot," Brind'Amour said. "He's got a real offensive mind and he's always looking for the next play He definitely has that flair. That's what he does If he's in the lineup and that's what he needs to bring. We need all the attributes that he brings."
"It's a treat to have him on the third pair, but he can play heavy minutes if needed," Gostisbehere said.
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