The Chicago Blackhawks have announced a trade with the Vancouver Canucks, acquiring forwards Ilya Mikheyev and Sam Lafferty, along with a 2027 second-round pick, in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick. As part of the deal, Vancouver will retain 15% of Mikheyev’s salary for the remainder of his contract.
Mikheyev, 29, had a productive 2023-24 season with the Canucks, tallying 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) over 78 regular-season games, setting new personal bests in assists and games played. He also contributed in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, participating in a postseason career-high 11 games, where he recorded nine hits and four blocked shots. Over his NHL career, which includes time with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver, the Omsk, Russia native has accumulated 131 points (60 goals, 71 assists) in 270 regular-season games. Mikheyev has also appeared in 30 playoff games, registering four points (2 goals, 2 assists).
Lafferty, also 29, enjoyed a career-best season in 2023-24, recording 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 79 regular-season games for the Canucks. He matched his career high in assists and set new marks in goals and points. Lafferty also played in 11 playoff games, where he contributed 27 hits. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound forward has accumulated 83 points (36 goals, 47 assists) in 289 career regular-season games over five seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vancouver Canucks.
He previously spent parts of two seasons with the Blackhawks, recording 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists) in 97 games. Lafferty was originally drafted by Pittsburgh in the fourth round (113th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft.
This trade marks the return of Lafferty to Chicago, where he had a productive stint before being traded to Toronto in 2023. The Blackhawks aim to bolster their roster with these additions as they continue to build for the future.
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