BREAKING: Canucks Trade Mikheyev, Lafferty And A Second-Round Pick To The Blackhawks
In return, the Vancouver Canucks will receive a fourth-round pick in 2027.
Photo by Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports - BREAKING: Canucks Trade Mikheyev, Lafferty And A Second-Round Pick To The BlackhawksThe Vancouver Canucks cleared up some cap space on Wednesday, trading Ilya Mikheyev, the signing rights to Sam Lafferty and a 2027 second-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks. In return, the Canucks will receive a 2027 fourth-round pick but will be retaining 15% of Mikheyev's contract. The trade opens up just over $4 million in cap space for Vancouver as they look to re-sign multiple players while also improving the team through free agency.
In the press release, GM Patrik Allvin wrote, "I would like to thank both Sam and Ilya for their time in Vancouver and wish them both the best moving forward. In Mik’s case, we were really impressed with how hard he worked to come back from his knee surgery. That determination and drive is what makes him such a good player."
Mikheyev signed a four-year contract worth $19 million with the Canucks during the 2022 offseason. Over the past two seasons, Mikheyev has played 124 regular season games for Vancouver, recording 24 goals and 59 points. Unfortunately, Mikheyev suffered an ACL injury that required surgery during the 2022-23 season and was unable to become a constant point contributor with the Canucks.
As for Sam Lafferty, he had success in a bottom-six role during his only season in Vancouver. A pending unrestricted free agent, Lafferty scored 13 goals and recorded 24 points in 79 games this season. If Lafferty signs with Chicago, it will be his second stint with the organization, having already played 97 games with the Blackhawks.
On top of two players, the Canucks also had to give up a second-round pick in 2027. This pick is projected to be a later-round selection, somewhere between the 60 and 64th pick. Pushing the pick to 2027 also allows the organization to move second-round picks in 2025 and 2026 as they look to improve and become consistent contenders.
Lastly, Vancouver will receive a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Entry Draft. While the likelihood that a fourth-round pick will develop into an NHL player is low, there are plenty of examples of them being late-round steals, including Keith Yandle, Igor Shestyorkin, Viktor Arvidsson, Mattias Ekholm and Johnny Gaudreau. Ultimately, the fact that the Canucks were able to get a fourth-round pick back is impressive, as they now have an additional asset that can be used as part of a trade to bring in another player to the organization.
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