Canucks free up cap space, send Ilya Mikheyev, Sam Lafferty, second-rounder to Blackhawks

By Mark Lazerus, Scott Powers and Chris Johnston

The last time the Blackhawks coaxed a second-round pick from the Vancouver Canucks to take on a supposedly bad contract, they brought in Jason Dickinson, who quickly emerged as one of their best players and just finished a second season of Selke Trophy caliber in Chicago. .

Kyle Davidson is apparently hoping for a similar coup with Ilya Mikheyev.

The Canucks send Mikheyev, the rights to pending unrestricted free agent Sam Lafferty and a 2027 second-round pick to Chicago for a 2027 fourth-round pick. The AthleticsChris Johnston reported that Mikheyev waived his amended no-trade clause to complete the deal. It’s a dump for Vancouver pure and simple, and the Canucks retain 15 percent of Mikheyev’s $4.75 million cap hit for two more years. For Chicago, it takes a kite for a player who once could fly.

The 29-year-old Mikheyev is an intriguing reclamation project for the Blackhawks, who have both the space and patience to burn. Once one of the fastest skaters in the league and a strong producer – 21 goals in 53 games during the 2021-2022 season and 13 goals in 46 games in 2022-2023 – with strong defensive qualities, Mikheyev hasn’t been the same since ACL. Surgery cut his 2023 season short. He played 78 games this season, his first since the operation, but had just 11 goals and 20 assists. Ten of those eleven goals came in his first 28 games of the season, while his offense dried up in his last 50 games. He had no points in 11 playoff games.

According to the NHL’s Edge tracking system, Mikheyev was still a strong skater, in the 69th percentile in top speed and the 70th percentile in bursts of speed over 20 miles per hour. But in 2021-2022, he ranked in the 95th percentile in both categories.

“To me, guys who have had surgery can’t get back to work until the second year after their surgery,” said one Eastern Conference scout. “I’d take a chance if I got him in an undervalue transaction.”

The Blackhawks were the lowest scoring team in the league last season at 2.17 goals per game, and general manager Kyle Davidson promised his team would be more competitive this season. Chicago has significant interest in high-end players like Jake Guentzel and Martin Necas, but those are pretty long shots. Mikheyev isn’t at their level, and the Blackhawks see him more in a third-liner/penalty kill type role. But he could provide some depth, which Chicago desperately needs.

As for Lafferty, he carved out a nice role for himself in his two seasons in Chicago as a penalty-killing bottom-sixer before being traded to Toronto at the 2023 deadline. The Blackhawks now have exclusive negotiating rights with Lafferty until free agency opens on Monday. They hope to sign him and, along with Mikheyev, significantly improve their bottom six.

(Photo by Ilya Mikheyev: Bob Frid / USA Today)