Nikita Nikitin

Nikita Nikitin
Nikitin at the 2014 Edmonton Oilers training camp
Born June 16, 1986
Omsk, Soviet Union
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 217 lb (98 kg; 15 st 7 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams 		Edmonton Oilers
Avangard Omsk
St. Louis Blues
Columbus Blue Jackets
National team  Russia
NHL Draft 136th overall, 2004
St. Louis Blues
Playing career 2002–present

Nikita Aleksandrovich Nikitin (Russian: Никита Александрович Никитин; born June 16, 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Nikitin with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013

Playing career

Nikitin spent his junior career skating in the Avangard Omsk hockey system. He was a regular on Russia’s under-18 and under-20 national squads and spent several seasons skating in the professional Russian Superleague (RSL) with Avangard, establishing himself as a strong Superleague-calibre defenceman.

Nikitin was drafted by the St. Louis Blues with the 136th overall selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.[1] On June 14, 2010, he was signed by the Blues to an entry-level NHL contract.[2] He scored his first NHL goal on February 6, 2011 against Dan Ellis of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was traded on November 10, 2011, to the Columbus Blue Jackets for defenceman Kris Russell.[3]

After Columbus agreed to give the Edmonton Oilers permission to negotiate with Nikitin on June 20, 2014, Nikitin and Edmonton agreed to a two-year deal worth an annual average value of $4.5 million, and his rights were traded to Edmonton on June 25, where he immediately signed the new contract.[4]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2003–04 Avangard Omsk RSL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2004–05 Avangard Omsk RSL 16 0 0 0 4 6 0 0 0 0
2005–06 Avangard Omsk RSL 41 1 2 3 24 13 1 2 3 6
2006–07 Avangard Omsk RSL 54 1 15 16 101 11 0 5 5 39
2007–08 Avangard Omsk RSL 57 3 10 13 48 4 0 1 1 2
2008–09 Avangard Omsk KHL 53 4 11 15 28 9 1 2 3 8
2009–10 Avangard Omsk KHL 43 4 9 13 14 3 0 0 0 0
2010–11 St. Louis Blues NHL 41 1 8 9 10 — — — — —
2010–11 Peoria Rivermen AHL 22 3 11 14 12 — — — — —
2011–12 St. Louis Blues NHL 7 0 0 0 4 — — — — —
2011–12 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 54 7 25 32 14 — — — — —
2012–13 Avangard Omsk KHL 33 2 12 14 8 — — — — —
2012–13 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 38 3 6 9 17 — — — —
2013–14 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 66 2 13 15 20 5 0 0 0 0
2014–15 Edmonton Oilers NHL 42 4 6 10 12 — — — —
NHL totals 248 17 58 75 77 5 0 0 0 0
KHL totals 129 10 32 42 50 12 1 2 3 8

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2006 Russia WJC 2nd 6 0 0 0 6
2012 Russia WC 1st 10 0 4 4 4
Junior totals 6 0 0 0 6
Senior totals 10 0 4 4 4

References

  1. ↑ "NIKITA NIKITIN". St. Louis Blues Hockey Club and the National Hockey League. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "Blues Sign Defenseman Nikita Nikitin". National Hockey League. 2010-06-14. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
  3. ↑ "Blue Jackets trade Russell for Nikitin". Fox Sports. 2011-11-10. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
  4. ↑ "Oilers acquire Nikitin from Blue Jackets for draft pick". The Sports Network. 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2014-06-25.

External links