The Vancouver Canucks made a big depth splash, signing forward Ilya Mikheyev to a four-year deal worth $4.75M per season. Mikheyev signs in Vancouver after a successful run with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team he signed with as an undrafted KH free agent.
Mikheyev’s 2021-22 season was a bit of a breakout year, as he scored 21 goals in 53 games, showing that he could effectively utilize his speed and nose for the puck to score goals. While many Maple Leafs fans may gripe about Mikheyev’s finishing ability, he was an impactful scorer at the KHL level and now seems to be figuring out how to be a scorer in the NHL.
At $4.75M with four-year term, this signing is not without risk. Mikheyev’s breakout season proved he could be worth $4.75M at his best, but it’s fair to question if he is going to play like a player worth nearly $5M for the duration of the deal with consistency. Mikheyev struggled with injuries last season and only has 146 NHL games to his name, which isn’t a massive NHL track record. But that lack of experience can work both ways, as the Canucks clearly believe Mikheyev has more to his game than he’s shown so far.
With this signing now on the books, all eyes are on J.T. Miller and a potential trade that could be involving him. Now that Mikheyev has been added, the Jim Rutherford/Patrik Allvin era of Canucks hockey is starting to take shape.
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