VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson’s additions to the team’s NHL roster have been hit-or-miss up to this point, but players he specifically acquires from Canucks GM Patrik Allvin tend to hit.
The fact the Hawks got a second-round pick from the Canucks for taking Jason Dickinson in 2022 is ridiculous in retrospect, considering Dickinson has become a semi-core player.
And Davidson’s trade for Ilya Mikheyev with the Canucks last summer — in which he received another second-round pick (and gave up a fourth) — looks pretty good, too.
Mikheyev has been quietly solid for the Hawks this season, improving as the season has progressed.
“I think he feels really good about where his game is right now,” interim coach Anders Sorensen said Saturday. “His habits have been really good: he’s competing [and] moving his feet a lot. He’s in on the forecheck, but he’s hanging onto pucks, as well.”
The 30-year-old forward has always been known more for his defensive acumen and speed, which was reduced by an ACL surgery two years in Vancouver but has gradually returned.
Plus-minus is a flawed stat, but the fact he touts a plus-three rating on a team with a minus-51 total goal differential is remarkable.
His offense has picked up, too, and he entered Saturday’s game against his former team with three goals in his last four games. He’s up to 15 goals this season, the second-most of his career. And 12 of those goals have come during five-on-five play, which ranks him second on the Hawks behind only Ryan Donato with 18.
Ilya Mikheyev scores moments after the Dickinson fight pic.twitter.com/p9N0ZSXdMm
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Mikheyev and Donato together, along with Teuvo Teravainen, have formed by far the Hawks’ most effective and consistent line since the 4 Nations break.
In Mikheyev’s five-on-five ice time since then, the Hawks have outscored opponents 10-5 and outshot them 56-53. When he hasn’t been on the ice, the Hawks have been decisively outscored 23-12 and outshot 229-152.
“His effort is always there,” Donato said. “He could fly. He’s kind of a buzzsaw. He’s very reliable, he’s going to be on the right side of pucks and he’s really easy to play with. … Any time he gets those chances in tight around the net, he’s pretty heavy on his stick and can usually [convert] on those opportunities.”
Sorensen has rewarded Mikheyev, who has one contract year remaining with a salary-cap hit just over $4 million, with some power-play ice time on this road trip.
“We trust him,” Sorensen said. “We utilize him a lot on the [penalty kill], obviously, but now he’s earned that opportunity to play on the power play.”