Playing Career
Nikitin spent his junior career skating in the HC Avangard Omsk hockey system. The young defenseman was a regular on Russia’s U18 and U20 national squads. He spent several seasons skating in the professional Russian Super League with Avangard Omsk and established himself as a strong Super League caliber defenseman.
Nikitin was drafted by the St. Louis Blues with the 136th overall selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. On June 14, 2010, Nikitin was signed by the Blues to an entry-level NHL contract. 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 defenseman Kris Russell.
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