Nikishin scored a goal, dished an assist, blocked two shots and went plus-3 in Saturday's 9-2 win over the Blackhawks.
Nikishin ended his holdout by signing a one-year, $3 million contract Oct. 25. Just under two weeks later, he's back in the lineup in a third-pairing role, though he should also be a candidate for power-play time. He produced 33 points in 81 regular-season contests as a rookie last year. The 25-year-old requested a trade prior to signing, so it's possible he'll be treating his playing time as an audition for any team interested in acquiring him.