The Chicago Blackhawks have an important season ahead of them. The organization has committed to building through the draft, and a plethora of draft picks are NHL-ready, or on the cusp of being NHL-ready. Many young players will have a chance to make their mark this season; some becoming everyday players while many others will make their NHL debuts. Meanwhile, a small group of veterans will be tasked with helping the youngsters find their way.
In this series headed into the 2025-26 campaign, we’ll preview each player projected to make the roster, and what their role will be with the team. This edition’s spotlight is on forward Ilya Mikheyev.
Mikheyev By The Numbers
Drafted: Undrafted
Position: Right Wing/Left Wing
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 192 pounds
Age/Birthdate: 30 years old (10/10/1994)
Country: Russia
2024-25 Stats: 20 goals, 14 assists, 34 points in 80 games
Career Stats: 80 goals, 85 assists, 165 points in 350 games
How He Got Here
The Blackhawks do have a history of undrafted Russian players working out for them. (Remember Artemi Panarin?). Heck, they’re even hoping the free-agent Russian goaltender, Stanislav Berezhnoy, whom they signed in July, will have a successful future as well.
But back to Mikheyev. He was signed to a one-year entry-level deal by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019 out of the KHL, after posting 45 points in 62 games for Omsk Avangard (team leader). Fun fact: Blackhawks’ 2013 Stanley Cup Champion Viktor Stålberg was his teammate in Omsk.
He performed well in Toronto, with his best season coming in his final year there in 2021-22, when he scored 32 points in 53 games. In 2019, Auston Matthews said Mikheyev “plays a lot like Pavel Datsyuk.”
Mikheyev’s role in Toronto was primarily a utility, penalty-killing role. Then, former head coach Sheldon Keefe discussed Mikheyev’s desire for a larger role, which he likely wouldn’t have received there in the long term.
Ultimately, he signed a four-year, $19 million deal with the Vancouver Canucks in July 2022. He spent two seasons in Vancouver, and it was an up-and-down experience as he dealt with an ACL injury that limited him to 46 games in the 2022-23 season and inconsistency. Although he did record 31 points in 2023-24, which was one point less than his career-high at the time. However, it seemed that perhaps neither side would be…
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