The Vancouver Canucks have made another signing and it’s another forward.
The team announced they have signed right-winger Ilya Mikheyev to a four-year contract.
General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today the #Canucks have agreed to terms with forward Ilya Mikheyev to a four year deal.
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) July 13, 2022
As for the financial terms, the AAV is 4.75 million dollars per season as reported by TSN’s Chris Johnston.
Ilya Mikheyev agrees to a four-year deal with #canucks at $4.75M AAV.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 13, 2022
Mikheyev is coming off a season where he put up career-high numbers with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored 21 goals and managed 11 assists for 32 points in 53 games. Mikheyev is also scored two goals and managed two assists in seven playoff games against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 27-year-old is bringing speed to the Canucks line up. Mikheyev is also a decent penalty killer and is a physical player. He also joins fellow countrymen Vasily Podkolzin and Andrei Kuzmenko. So he could be a mentor for them.
Ilya Mikheyev, signed 4x$4.75M by VAN, is a very solid middle-six winger with good impacts at both ends who creates great chances with his speed but had struggled to finish them before exploding for 20 goals this season. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/YQr3b5VPhl
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 13, 2022
Mikheyev went undrafted and signed with the Leafs in 2019 after spending years in the KHL with Avangard Omsk. He spent the last three seasons in Toronto.
Apparently, the Canucks had interest in Mikheyev for quite some time.
Ilya Mikheyev on his way to VAN.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) July 13, 2022
Canucks haver interest in this player for a long time.
Mikheyev is a good player no doubt. But the contract is a risky one. Can he build off his last season in Toronto? The Canucks better hope so.
“He is fast as hell, has one breakaway move that works, but loves to shoot into the goaltender’s chest,” said an anonymous Maple Leafs media member to Canucks Army’s David Quadrelli. “They’ve overpaid for a penalty kill specialist.”
Make of that what you will.
With Mikheyev signing, the Canucks don’t have a lot of cap space left. They still have to fix their defence particularly the right side.
Could a trade be happening sooner or later? It makes sense. Maybe they improve the defence with that route. J.T. Miller, Tanner Pearson, Tyler Myers and Conor Garland have been names to watch on the trade market.
What do you think of the Mikheyev signing? Let us know in the comments below, in the Facebook comments or on Twitter.