Before even signing in free agency, Ilya Mikheyev was contributing to the Vancouver Canucks. The speedy winger signed a four-year contract with the Canucks on Wednesday worth $4.75 million annually. Before that, he helped with their recruitment efforts for the other Russian winger they signed on Wednesday, Andrei Kuzmenko. “I talked to Kuzy in Miami,” Mikheyev said during a Zoom call Thursday morning. “We were in Miami at the same time and had some lunch. He asked me about the NHL and asked me about his options. [the offers] took And I tell him that Vancouver is the best choice for him. “He thought a lot about Vancouver and another team, but it’s my opinion on him — I told him Vancouver is the best option for Cousy.” This is a very impressive assist for Mikheyev without even playing a game for the Canucks. Knowing that Kuzmenko was going to be there, along with fellow Russian Vasily Podkolzin, made the Canucks a more comfortable landing spot for him as well. It can help ease the transition for Kuzmenko, which was a little rough for him in his first year. “I played two and a half years in Toronto, probably only a Russian,” Mikheyev said. “When I came to the NHL, just the first year, having Russians was good because my English was bad. Of course, you exercise, you talk to kids, at the rink, in the restaurants outside the rink and it’s good for you. . “Now that you know better English, it’s just a bonus when you have Russian guys.” Mikheyev said he began to appreciate Vancouver as a team and as a city when the Toronto Maple Leafs played them so much during the 2020-21 season that was shortened due to COVID, when the Leafs and Canucks were in the same division. “I saw how this team played, I saw the rink and maybe no fans, but — it was my first free agency and it’s a long decision,” Mikheyev said. “We talked to my family, everybody, and Vancouver was the best choice. I like the city, I like the team, I like how they’ve built this team.” After playing in Toronto, Mikheyev clearly has no problem playing in a hockey-crazy Canadian market. He joked that he knows the meaning of pressure after his time with the Leafs and immediately said he feels a “responsibility” to play well for fans who are so passionate. Mikheyev had a breakout season last year, scoring 21 goals in just 53 games. He believes he can continue to score with Vancouver. “I worked a lot in the summer before last year,” Mikheyev said. “I understand NHL hockey more, it’s more experience. Everything was easier for me — playing, training — and I feel more comfortable. And, of course, I understand my mistakes.” It helps that he’s no longer recovering from a nasty injury where his wrist was sliced open by a skate blade. “I had two injuries my first year, first I cut my wrist,” he said. “It’s hard. It’s not easy because you cut tendons…but I understand that I just had to work hard and come back stronger. Because I’m a professional and I want to play.” While Mikheyev has yet to play a full season in the NHL, there have been largely accidental injuries — the cut wrist, an awkward cross into the boards and a broken thumb. Hopefully, Mikheyev can avoid similar bad luck with the Canucks. If so, Mikheyev could be in line for a career year and maybe get a few more assists with Kuzmenko.
