NHL Notebook: Canucks have deal in place to send Mikheyev, Lafferty to Blackhawks
By Zach Laing
2 days agoThe Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks have a deal in place to allow Vancouver to clear some cap space.
The deal, according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, would see the Canucks move Ilya Mikeyev, pending unrestricted free agent Sam Lafferty, and a second-round pick to the Blackhawks for a fourth round pick.
The second round pick is in 2025, while the fourth is in 2027, Seravalli added. The deal is contingent on Mikheyev waiving a no-trade clause.
Mikheyev came in at No. 6 on Seravalli’s latest Trade Targets list, saying the Canucks had been looking to move him and the two-year, $4.75-million AAV left on his contract.
The winger scored 11 goals and 31 points in the regular season this year, but struggled in the playoffs scoring no points in 11 games.
Here’s more on Mikheyev and the Canucks from Seravalli’s Trade Targets list:
After a tough playoff, Mikheyev’s contract is gumming up the works on Vancouver’s offseason. They can’t more aggressively pursue multiple pending free agents (Nikita Zadorov) until they can get clearer view of their cap picture. Mikheyev scored just one goal in the final 61 games of the season (including playoffs), which is hard to do. As a result, teams are asking the Canucks to attach an asset to Mikheyev to move him, something they are balking at – saying that it takes a full year to recover from ACL repair, and Mikheyev should be much better next season.
Canucks re-sign Blueger
The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed bottom-six forward Teddy Blueger to a two-year contract extension, the club announced Wednesday.
The deal will see him carry a cap hit of $1.8-million.
Blueger, 29, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the 2012 draft and last year marked his first with the Canucks. With them, he drew in for 68 games this year scoring six goals and 28 points, adding another two assists in 13 playoff games.
“Teddy was a key addition to our team last year and we are really excited to have him back for a couple more seasons,” Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said in a statement. “His versatility and experience really helped our group in both the regular season and playoffs. He is a strong leader and someone we will count on a lot more moving forward.”
Former NHL’er Sergei Berezen dies
Former NHL’er Sergei Berezin has died at 52 years old, the NHL Alumni Association announced Wednesday.
Drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 10th round of the 1994 draft, Berezin arrived in the NHL in the 1996-97 season, going on to have a 502 game career spending five years with the Leafs. Those marked the most productive years of his career, splitting time in his final two seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals.
Over his career, he scored 160 goals and 286 points, landing on the all-rookie team in his inaugural season.
“In his retirement, he enjoyed coaching minor hockey, playing tennis, and most importantly, spending time with his family,” the Alumni Associated said in a tweet. “We send our deepest condolences to Sergei’s family, friends, and former teammates during this extremely difficult time.”
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.
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