Ditching Mikheyev is the key to Canucks re-signing Zadorov
The Vancouver Canucks want Nikita Zadorov back, and the feeling is mutual with the towering Russian.
But it remains to be seen whether a deal will be made before Zadorov becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Zadorov’s agent Dan Milstein is reportedly “open-minded” and “patient” with the Canucks — presumably because they can bring him back if they make another move to clear salary cap space.
With Tucker Poolman destined for LTIR, the Canucks have $17.6 million in cap space but have only 16 players pencilled in for next season’s roster. The team reportedly has their eyes locked on Jake Guentzel, who should cost over $9 million if they get him in free agency.
That doesn’t leave a lot of money left over for a pending UFA like Zadorov, who is projected to earn north of $5 million in free agency by AFP Analytics.
Trading Ilya Mikheyev would certainly help matters.
The Canucks are reportedly looking to trade the 29-year-old winger and his $4.75 million salary, but it looks like it could cost them a draft pick to do it. The problem is that Patrik Allvin has already moved a lot of picks. As it stands right now, Vancouver won’t be participating in next week’s NHL Draft until the third round. They’ve already traded their third-round pick in 2025 and 2026 as well.
Mikheyev is coming off a sub-par season, which saw him score just 11 goals and 31 points in 78 games and zero points in the playoffs. He likely wasn’t back to full speed after undergoing ACL surgery in January of last year.
An acquiring team could bank on Mikheyev returning to form, but he doesn’t exactly have a long resume. Mikheyev played just three NHL seasons in Toronto before the Canucks signed him in free agency back in 2022. He was a bottom-six winger with the Maple Leafs for two seasons before scoring 21 goals in 53 games during a breakout 2021-22 season.
Allvin will need to figure out what ditching Mikheyev is worth to the Canucks. If he can trade him for the cost of a third-round pick and bring back Zadorov, that seems like a move worth making.
A second-rounder seems like a stiff price to pay, but they did send two draft picks to Calgary in a trade to get him in the first place.
Would you rather Mikheyev and a draft pick, or Zadorov?
Follow Channels and Categories