Lightning Sign Ilya Mikheyev to 4-Year Contract With $3.85 Million AAV

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Ilya Mikheyev to a four-year contract with a $3.85 million annual average value (AAV), as per his agent Dan Milstein.

Versatile Mikheyev Heading to Sunshine State

Mikheyev posted a career-high 36 points (18 goals, 18 assists) in 77 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season on the final year of a four-year deal with a $4.75 million AAV he signed with the Vancouver Canucks in 2022 that the Blackhawks inherited in a June, 2024 trade.

The 31-year-old Russian winger, known for his speed, was relied upon in Chicago as a key penalty killer and demonstrated versatility by playing up and down in their lineup.

Mikheyev broke into the NHL in 2019-20 with the Toronto Maple Leafs after spending four seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League with Omsk Avangard. In 427-career NHL games between the Blackhawks, Canucks, and Maple Leafs, Mikheyev has 98 goals and 103 assists for 201-career points, and in 30-career playoff games, has two goals and two assists for four points.

The Lightning have kept their competitive window open since winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2019-20 and 2020-21, but have lost in the first round in four-consecutive playoffs. Mikheyev should fit nicely into head coach Jon Cooper’s middle six and special teams for an affordable price — they still have $9.3 million in cap space after signing him, as per PuckPedia.