Overview
- The team said Nikishin has a concussion and entered the NHL protocol in Raleigh, a step-by-step process that requires symptom-free progress and medical clearance to return.
- He left Game 4 after a heavy open-ice hit by Ottawa defenseman Tyler Kleven that sparked a fight and left him struggling to get off the ice.
- Officials first called Kleven for a five-minute major, then rescinded the major after video review, which flipped the penalties to give Ottawa a power play.
- Carolina’s first-round sweep gives the club extra days before the next series, though there is no target date for Nikishin’s return.
- Veteran Mike Reilly projects as the short-term replacement if Nikishin is not available to start the next round.