Ilya Mikheyev and the negotiation rights to Sam Lafferty have been traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the Chicago Blackhawks. Also, the Canucks had to add a couple sweeteners to the deal, including a swap of 2027 picks (a second round pick for a fourth rounder), as well as retaining 15% of Mikheyev’s salary. There was some back-and-forth on this as an evolving situation throughout the evening, but it appears Chris Johnston has put the chatter to bed. As the evening wore on, he reported via X (formerly known as Twitter), that Mikheyev has indeed waived his no-trade clause to complete the trade to Chicago. Also, it had appeared there was another team trying to acquire Mikheyev, but there is no cause for added confusion at this time. It really seems that it came down to Mikheyev deciding where he wanted to go, and he did decide, on Chicago.
The Vancouver Canucks Trade Ilya Mikheyev to the Chicago Blackhawks
Now official: The #blackhawks have acquired Ilya Mikheyev (15% retained), pending UFA Sam Lafferty and a 2027 second-pick from the #canucks for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Mikheyev waived a M-NTC to facilitate the deal.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 27, 2024
Moreover, now that this deal is done, it gives the Canucks management some cap space and Mikheyev a new start. For Chicago, it really gives them a player who can play throughout the lineup. Sam Lafferty is an interesting addition, because he could be great for trade bait at the deadline for a team looking to load up for a playoff run in exchange for prospects. That is if he does sign in Chicago. However, he will test free agency, as he knows his value as a gritty, depth player.
Ilya Mikheyev Moved On via Trade
It wasn’t supposed to end like this. Slow recovery from a leg injury and shattered confidence meant his stay in Vancouver was never what it could have been. And after a post-season where even one or two more goals could have made all the difference, the team was through waiting.
The Canucks signed the free agent in the 2022 offseason, looking forward to adding his excellent speed. Everyone knew he had sporadic scoring, but his career average of around 20 goals in 80 games gave Vancouver hope. The extra scoring would be nice, but mostly he was looked to for his quick forecheck and puck retrieval.
Unfortunately for everyone, his West Coast career started in the worst possible way. An injury to his ACL in the pre-season slowed him considerably. His production level was fine with 13 goals and 28 points in 46 games, but he never quite got up to his usual blazing speed. The Canucks finally shut him down in January for surgery, with a minor uproar because it’s the Canucks.
If there is one feature to like about Ilya Mikheyev, it is his speed. If there is one to dislike, it’s that he doesn’t score goals to match the opportunities that speed gives him. Watching him, you can’t get away from feeling like he should be a 30+ goal scorer. But even more modest expectations weren’t met in 2023-24. He scored just once after December, and not at all in 11 playoff games.
With two seasons remaining on his $4.75 million per deal, Vancouver decided they needed the cap space more than the player. And Chicago has been willing to take those mid-range salaries to help bring some veteran jam to the lineup.
What Now for Canucks and Hawks
After such a long goalless drought, the first priority for the Chicago Blackhawks should be getting Mikheyev’s confidence back. His speed slowly returned as the year progressed, and his forechecking ability was there in the playoffs. If he can get a few goals early in this move, maybe get some power play time, they could make Vancouver regret the decision to move him.
As for the Canucks, their return, other than the cap space, is just that, cap space. The win here for the Canucks was not taking on any salary. Even though it is not determined where Lafferty will sign, as he is a highly-sought after free agent, he was an additional sweetener in the deal. Maybe this opens the door for a big signing for Vancouver. We all know the Jake Guentzel rumours that have been making waves. We will have to wait to see, what this means for Vancouver. And, if the Ilya Mikheyev trade can pay off for Chicago.
Main photo credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
