Nikishin's agent denies KHL return amid Carolina standoff

Alexander Nikishin's agent has denied that his client is heading back to the KHL, after The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun floated the idea amid the defenceman's contract standoff with Carolina.

"No. He is not even close to returning. We will keep working, but he will not be going back," Alexander Chernykh, Nikishin's agent for the KHL market, said.

Nikishin, 24, is a restricted free agent and has asked Carolina for a trade. LeBrun had reported that the two sides agreed to keep the dispute out of the media, and that Nikishin's own agent, Ben Kraizerman of Quartexx, declined to comment. LeBrun noted the situation is unusual for a player who has just won the Stanley Cup, and suggested general manager Eric Tulsky could still either sign him or trade him, given the interest from other clubs.

Chernykh said several NHL clubs are ready to take Nikishin, but that Carolina is blocking a move.

"The issue now is mainly with Carolina. Plenty of clubs would like to get Nikishin. But Carolina is refusing. It is a situation familiar from the KHL: a player wants to move to another club, but the club will not let him go. You could even draw a comparison with Spartak," Chernykh said.

Asked whether Nikishin himself has any desire to return to Russia, Chernykh said there is none.

"No. There is one wish only — for our partners to reach an agreement directly. They have found clubs that are ready, and the rest is a matter for Carolina," Chernykh said.

Pressed on the possibility Nikishin might play in Russia temporarily during the dispute, as Alexei Yashin and Ilya Kovalchuk once did during contract standoffs, Chernykh rejected the comparison.

"Are we giving up, or something? The people involved are working. We hope to get this resolved and that this scenario will not even come up. There is no panic on our side. Alexander will stay in America and wait for the situation to be settled. His wife is also due to give birth soon," Chernykh said.

Tulsky confirmed there is no deal in place yet and asked for the talks to stay private.

"I don't know when this will get resolved. We are working on finding a solution. As of today, he does not have a contract. We are dealing with it as things develop. It would be better if our conversations stayed between us. Alexander is entitled to expect that what he and I discuss stays confidential and does not end up in the press, and I want to respect that," Tulsky said.

Chernykh's reference to Nikishin's new benchmark points to the market context: LeBrun noted the defenceman could use Vancouver's Zeev Buium and his eight-year, $9.38 million-a-season deal as a reference point in talks. For now, both camps agree on one thing publicly — that Nikishin's return to the KHL is not on the table, whatever happens with Carolina.