Nizhnikov is a skilled, flashy forward with good size…he moves well with a smooth stride that generates healthy speeds…has impressive elusiveness for a guy his size…agile and balanced on his feet…creates offensive chances by making moves to get to prime scoring areas before unleashing a dangerous shot and isn’t shy to get to the areas he needs to on the ice…good snap on his shot and a release that can easily fool a goaltender…has some playmaking abilities as well with smooth passes and good vision but definitely leans towards the shot whenever the option is given…has a tendency to rest on his natural talent as he can coast when he should be covering his man on the backcheck, or fly the zone instead of making sure the puck is in possession…not overly physical but does use his size to get to desired areas on the ice…will need to improve his two-way play, consistency and add some more strength…has electrifying offensive upside at the NHL level in a dynamic goal-scoring role, but he also a fair amount of bust potential in his game to be concerned with as well. (July 2017)