Canucks Sign Forward Ilya Mikheyev to 4-Year Deal

The Vancouver Canucks made their first big move in free agency when they signed forward Ilya Mikheyev to a four-year contract just after the first hour of free agency closed on Wednesday. The deal is worth $4.75 million per season. The Canucks were looking to get faster and this signing is certainly going to address this need.

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

Mikheyev will add a lot of speed to the Canucks lineup. He won’t ever be a 30-goal scorer, but he will add a lot of skill and depth to a roster that might be moving on from J.T. Miller or a few other names this summer. He had a good year in Toronto with the Maple Leafs, but he often frustrated fans because it seemed like he could never finish his attempts. He creates a lot of opportunities, he’s probably going to cap out around 20 goals in a good season.

He hounds pucks and plays a north-south game. He can kill penalties and play in different situations. He is also solid analytically, defensively, throws the body around, this is going to be considered a good signing for Vancouver. At this price, it’s a bit surprising more teams weren’t interested.

This signing doesn’t give the Canucks much in the way of cap space. That means any other deals from the Canucks will have to be either done via trade.

Next: Claude Giroux Signs a 3-Year Deal with the Ottawa Senators