<unk>  compounds can have oxidation state 0 or +2 and in many ways resemble organopalladium compounds in the same Group 10 element column of the periodic table. Both metals are reducing agents: Raney nickel for nickel and a host of palladium catalysts such as palladium on carbon. Many reactions of nickel compounds are based on reductive elimination / oxidative addition sequences.
Many complexes exist of nickel coordinated to an alkene. In these comounds nickel is formally zerovalent Ni0 and the bonding is based on the Dewar-Chatt-Duncanson model.  One widely available representative is bis(1,5-cyclooctadiene)nickel(0) or Ni(COD)2 containing two cyclooctadiene units. It is a 18VE compound with 10 electrons provided by nickel itself and 4x2 electrons more by the double bonds. This solid melts at 60°C  and is used as a catalyst.
Allyl halides react with Ni(CO)4 to form nickel pi-allyl complexes. These compounds in turn are sources of allyl nucleophiles in reaction with alkyl halides. In allyl(cyclopentadienyl)nickel(II)  nickel has oxidation number +2. The electron count is 18 (8 from nickel, 6 from the Cp unit and 4 more from the allyl anion).
The nickel metallocene pendant is nickelocene NiCp2 with +2 Ni oxidation state and with 20 valence electrons. It is easily reduced to a 19 VE nickelicinium ion.  In contrast, the corresponding palladocene based on palladium is an unknown compound.
With electron-rich alkenes  nickel forms nickel transition metal carbene complexes containing C=Ni double bonds.
Nickel compounds of the type NiR2 also exist with just 12 valence electrons. In solution however solvent molecules always interact with the metal atom increasing the electron count. One true 12 VE compound is di(mesityl)nickel prepared from allyl nickel bromide and the corresponding Grignard reagent.
Organonickel
Nickel
Opium
Organophosphorus
Cilium
Formaldehyde
Vinyl chloride
Organotin