Ilya Mikheyev was a penalty kill specialist for Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks have a crucial offseason ahead of them as the team looks to load up in the hopes of progressing out of a lengthy rebuild next season.

The biggest priority of the summer is extending star player Connor Bedard, who is due a new contract with the expiration of his entry level deal. But, the team has some other key players coming off the books.

One of those players is forward Ilya Mikheyev; he will be a UFA this offseason. The 31-year old Russian had a strong season with Chicago, but it sounds like his time with the franchise could be coming to an end soon.

Ilya Mikheyev Reportedly Available for Trade

According to top insider Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast, the Blackhawks have made Mikheyev’s negotiating rights available for trade as the two sides have been unable to reach an agreement in extension talks.

This is unfortunate news for Chicago as Mikheyev was one of the few consistent performers on a 25-26 squad that once again finished near the bottom of the standings. Mikheyev was a valuable piece to a Blackhawks penalty kill that surprisingly finished second in the league.

Considering his strong play for the Blackhawks in the past two seasons, it is not surprising that Mikheyev wants to test the open market and cash in on a rich payday. On a dry free agent class with so few options, he can command a hefty salary. He will be a viable option for any team looking for secondary scoring support and an upgrade to the group’s special teams.

For the Blackhawks, they will aim to execute a trade prior to the opening of free agency in order to garner assets for Mikheyev’s services. It would not be ideal to lose such an important player for nothing.

Mikheyev recorded 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points in 77 games this past season. Over the course of his seven year career, he has amassed 98 goals and 103 assists for 201 points in 427 regular season games. In the postseason, he has registered two goals and two assists in 30 games.

Blackhawks Need to be Active this Offseason

While losing Mikheyev would be unfortunate, the Blackhawks have the tools at their disposal to more than make up for the loss. General manager Kyle Davidson will have over $40 million in projected salary cap space via Puck Pedia to work with this summer.

Chicago has a plethora of draft capital and a top prospect pool full of players that could entice teams around the NHL. Davidson should be aggressive this offseason when it comes to weaponizing the assets he has acquired across the duration of this rebuild in order to add star power to surround Bedard.

The Blackhawks cannot afford to keep finishing in the basement every year. There is plenty of young talent and promise on this team, but the youth need veteran support. Now is the time for Chicago to take that next step forward and get back in playoff contention. Davidson has work to do in order to make this happen.