Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks Acquire Ilya Mikheyev, Sam Lafferty and a 2nd Round Pick from Vancouver
The Blackhawks made their first trade of the offseason–but it wasn’t the earthshaking one everyone thought it would be. It also took a lot longer than expected but once Ilya Mikheyev waived his no-trade clause, the deal was consummated.
Ilya Mikheyev has waived his no-trade clause for the trade to Chicago.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 27, 2024
The deal also includes Sam Lafferty and Vancouver’s 2027 second-round pick for Chicago’s 2027 fourth-round pick. The Canucks, per Seravalli, retained 15% of the Mikheyev’s contract.
Ilya Mikheyev hasn’t formally agreed to waive his no-trade clause yet to go to #Blackhawks, but provided he does, teams have agreement in place on a trade:
To #Blackhawks: Ilya Mikheyev, 2nd Rd Pick, pending UFA Sam Lafferty
To #Canucks: 4th Rd Pick@DailyFaceoff
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 27, 2024
The deal is a salary dump for the Canucks so the Blackhawks are getting what would be a top-nine forward on the current roster–and likely more as they build out this offseason. The deal also included Sam Lafferty, the former Hawk dealt to Toronto in the Jake McCabe deal back in 2o23. Lafferty is an unrestricted free agent and could be added for depth if necessary, especially since he buried 13 last season.
Deal for Ilya Mikheyev Not What Was Expected Off the Bat
The Blackhawks need more depth after an injury plagued season that saw a very shorthanded team unable to score goals. Mikheyev potted 11 last season to go along with his 31 points but he still has two years on a deal worth $4.75M against the cap. With the Canucks retaining 15%, the AAV falls to $4.038M.
The production and the price don’t exactly match up, which is why Lafferty and the second-round pick were thrown in–but there’s also potential for how both could slot into the Blackhawks’ lineup–if Chicago chooses to sign Lafferty.
Lafferty had 24 points, with 13 finding the back of the net. Putting that into perspective, Lafferty would have been fourth on the team in goals and seventh in points. Mikheyev would have been tied for fifth in points on the 2023-24 Hawks.
While the Blackhawks added more depth, this is just scratching the surface of what the Blackhawks are constructing as they look to have a big jump from last year’s 53-loss season. For Chicago fans concerned about this deal not being enough, fear not. Without question, there’s plenty of complaints about Mikheyev’s ability to not bury his chances. 11 goals against the price of his contract is evidence of that.
Now we wait to see what the Blackhawks do next as the Draft inches closer and the offseason trades likely ramp up across the league.
This story is still developing and will be updated
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