"He's got that extra juice": Mikheyev finding his speed again for Canucks
It was a long couple months for Vancouver Canucks forward Ilya Mikheyev.
Despite playing alongside the team’s best players, the Russian forward went 35 games without scoring a goal and struggled to make an impact. Things looked bleak for the $4.75 million player.
The past few weeks have been a completely different story.
Mikheyev looks like the player the Canucks envisioned when they signed him in the summer of 2022. He’s been faster, more engaged, and contributing to the team’s success.
He has points in three of his last four games and has recorded multiple shots in five of the team’s eight games this month, including a season-high six against the Winnipeg Jets.
“I think his skating for me the last 10 days has really improved,” said head coach Rick Tocchet after Mikheyev had two assists against the Montreal Canadiens. “He looks like he’s got that extra juice, that extra gear, and that’s his game. If can skate and chase pucks down, that really helps our team and increases our team’s speed.”
The win against the Canadiens was Mikheyev’s best performance of the calendar year. He finished with two primary helpers including this sweet dish to Nikita Zadorov.
Nikita Zadorov knocks down his second goal of the period with seconds to go on the clock. š pic.twitter.com/fm0MOQOxuz
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 22, 2024
The winger was on the ice for six Canucks scoring chances while only allowing three against at five-on-five.
With Elias Lindholm and Elias Pettersson playing centre on different lines, the Canucks are a bit thin on the wings. They can’t afford to have Mikheyev not producing as was the case in January and February.
Mikheyev, Lindholm, and Sam Lafferty have been playing on a line together as of late and the early returns have been good. While it’s a tiny sample size, the line is controlling 60% of the shots and 70% of the scoring chances while on the ice at five-on-five.
The 29-year-old is finding his game at the perfect time for the Canucks. He looks like a completely different player than he did just a few weeks ago and with the playoffs on the horizon, coach Tocchet is surely excited to see the uptick in performance.