Former Blackhawks Forward Has Strong Game With New Team

During the off-season, Ilya Mikheyev's time with the Chicago Blackhawks officially came to an end when he signed a four-year, $15.4 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning in free agency.

Now, the former Blackhawks forward is already making an impact with the Lightning early on this season.

During the Lightning's Monday game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Mikheyev scored a goal and recorded an assist. He recorded the primary assist on Pontus Holmberg's game-winning goal for Tampa and then scored to give the Lightning a 3-1 lead. 

Seeing Mikheyev having a good start with the Lightning is not too surprising. He was an effective player during his time with the Blackhawks and should be a nice pickup for the Lightning. 

In 157 games over two seasons with the Blackhawks from 2024-25 to 2025-26, Mikheyev posted 38 goals, 32 assists, 70 points, and a plus-6 rating. This included him recording a career high 36 points in 77 games last season for Chicago.