A we get closer to the NHL’s Olympic trade freeze, there is increasing interest in the Blackhawks’ veterans who will be unrestricted free agents on July 1. However, it sounds more and more like the Hawks might prefer that forward Ilya Mikheyev helps them on the ice for a bit beyond this current season and not be a potentially valuable trade piece before the Feb. 4 trade freeze or March 6 trade deadline.
There is increasing smoke around the Blackhawks having interest in extending Mikheyev. The latest comments from from David Pagnotta at The Fourth Period:
Keep an eye on Chicago in the coming weeks. They are listening on all their pending UFAs, but may also be willing to extend Ilya Mikheyev if the money fits into their plans.FULL EPISODE:Watch: t.co/2O7oxSNFAWApple: t.co/sH0VOfI6TASpotify:… pic.twitter.com/PXZIsHuyOj
— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) January 15, 2026I have written about Mikheyev’s value to the Blackhawks twice in the last eight months — from very different perspectives. Most recently, I wrote that he’s on a short list of names at the top of the list of most valuable defensive wings in the NHL. Back in June, I asked if Mikheyev was the Blackhawks’ most valuable potential trade commodity.
It appears both of those are still true, with the former being noteworthy enough at this point that the Hawks wouldn’t mind Mikheyev, who turns 32 on Oct. 10, staying around a bit longer.
From HockeyStatCardsBest Blackhawks Trade?
Since being named the permanent general manager of the Blackhawks, Kyle Davidson has made some incredibly savvy trades. Two of them saw GMKD “help” the Canucks by taking a forward off their roster in a salary dump.
Shortly before the start of the 2022-23 season, Davidson acquired Jason Dickinson (with a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft for Riley Stillman).
In 2024, Davidson acquired Mikheyev and a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. The Canucks retained 15 percent of Mikheyev’s cap hit ($712,500 AAV) in the trade.
And, again, GMKD got that fourth-round pick back for Lukas Reichel.
It’s okay to laugh. I did.
As a rebuilding general manager, Davidson has previously acquired players in salary dump trades and extended them. He did that with Dickinson, captain Nick Foligno and goaltender Petr Mrázek over a 12-day span two years ago; in fact, today (Jan. 16) is the anniversary of Dickinson’s extension. Davidson saw both immediate and future value in those three players on and off the ice when he acquired them, but you could argue all three far exceeded any expectations when they arrived.
Mrázek was moved out before the end of his extension because of the arrival of Spencer Knight. Pagnotta and others have mentioned both Dickinson and Foligno could be trade targets before the deadline this season, the second and final year of their deals signed with the Blackhawks.
If the Blackhawks were to keep Mikheyev around beyond the current season, one could start to wonder if one of the other veterans who has remaining term on his contract could be available before the start of next season. Yes, the Blackhawks need to spend some more money to get to the salary floor, but they also need to make room for the next wave(s) of prospects who are coming.
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