The Chicago Blackhawks won their first game of the 2025-26 season in their fourth game, thanks in part to Ilya Mikheyev. He was a pleasant surprise last season for the rebuilding team and looks to be off to a solid start once again.
Mikheyev scored two goals in the 3-1 win over the Utah Mammoth and those were his first two points of the new season. Despite that, he is playing a lot and still impacting the game in other ways. Last season he finished 37th in Selke Trophy voting, meaning he got at least one vote for the best two-way forward. He has always had a knack for strong defensive play, but this was the first time he was recognized for it.
The Blackhawks brought in Andre Burakovsky and Frank Nazar now has a top-6 role, so the expectation was that Mikheyev's time and role would decrease. It has been the opposite as the third liner has averaged 17:27 of ice time per game thus far, up from the 15:41 from last season.
Mikheyev is playing a massive penalty killing role, averaging 4:22 of ice time while shorthanded. The penalty kill is something that has to get better from last season, and he is the top dog to be able to help turn things around and give Chicago more of a chance.
The Blackhawks stole Mikheyev in the cap dump situation with the Vancouver Canucks ahead of last season. The 31-year-old scored 20 goals and 34 points and the Blackhawks were able to upgrade from a 2027 fourth-round pick to a 2027 second-round pick as well.
Mikheyev could very well score 20 goals again, and that would be big for the Blackhawks, but his defensive game also has an impact on every game. Whether he is re-signed, traded, or plays out the season on the Blackhawks without a new contract, Chicago knows what they are getting every night, and that is important to have on a team.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game day coverage, player features, and more.