Vancouver Canucks trade Ilya Mikheyev, Sam Lafferty to Chicago Blackhawks
According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to a trade that will see Ilya Mikheyev, the rights to pending unrestricted free agent Sam Lafferty and a 2025 second-round pick end up in Chicago. The Canucks will receive a 2027 fourth-round pick in exchange.
Here’s the full details:
To #Blackhawks: Ilya Mikheyev, 2027 2nd Rd Pick, pending UFA Sam Lafferty
To #Canucks: 2027 4th Rd Pick#Canucks are retaining 15% on Mikheyev.
The Canucks will retain $712,500 of Mikheyev’s $4 million cap hit for the next two years. That gives them $18.29 million in projected cap space and around $20.79 million if Tucker Poolman returns to long-term injured reserve next year.
Mikheyev had to waive his no-trade clause to make the deal happen. He scored 11 goals and 31 points in 78 games this past season in Vancouver, but came up without a point in the playoffs. The speedy winger has two seasons left on his contract at $4.75 million, and it’s obvious, based on everything involved in this deal, that Vancouver was looking to clear cap space ahead of the free agency opening on Monday. Chicago on the other hand, get a chance at solving Mikheyev’s offensive struggles.
Moving on from Mikheyev’s contract gives Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin roughly $19 million in cap space to work with. Meanwhile, Lafferty is set to hit the open market come July 1, and the Blackhawks will navigate contract conversations as he, like Mikheyev, would bring a ton of speed to Chicago’s bottom six. Lafferty earned $1.15 million against the cap last season and finished the year with 13 goals and 24 points in 79 games. Lafferty also failed to register a point during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson has a ton of cap space to work with this offseason as he looks for his team to take another step forward in year two of the Connor Bedard era. Adding both players would give Davidson 17 of 23 NHL contract slots filled entering free agency.
As for Mikheyev, perhaps with a change of scenery, he can once again find his scoring touch when he recorded 21 goals in 53 games as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2021-22 season.
Mikheyev was most recently ranked #6 on Seravalli’s latest trade list.