From the moment he first laced up his skates with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ilya Mikheyev was a fan favorite. He was quick to smile and courageously tried to communicate by stumbling over a second language (then laughed at himself for doing so). He was so honest and straightforward that he became a media darling.
He first drew attention when he made the pronouncement that Canadians must be a bit strange because they didn’t like soup. He didn’t quite say it that way. But, when he was asked about things he didn’t understand about North America, he noted that at home in Russia, he loved his soup and wondered why it wasn’t such a favorite in Canada, as well.
It Was Hard Not to Like the Soup Man
Mikheyev quickly became known (at least until Jack Campbell came along to fill the Maple Leafs’ crease) as the “Soup Man.” He had a full personality and demonstrated a joyful spirit. He also captured fans’ hearts and sympathy with some of the tough injuries he suffered – and overcame.
Not the least among those injuries was a badly-sliced wrist suffered against the New Jersey Devils. That injury took a long time to heal, and, at least for a while, it hindered his shooting ability. Although he skated like the wind, he struggled to score, generating multiple breakaways on the penalty kill, but he was unable to put the puck in the net.
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It was hard not to root for a young man who was working so hard to overcome adversity, which is exactly what Mikheyev did (from “Maple Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev might be better than ever after long rehab from wrist injury,” Rosie DiManno, Toronto Star, 17/08/2020).
In 2020-21, for example, he played 54 games and scored seven goals and 10 assists (for 17 points). During the 2021-22 season, once his wrist started to come around, in one fewer game, he scored 21 goals and 11 assists for (32 points).
Mikheyev Became a Key Maple Leaf & an Expensive One
By the end of the season, Mikheyev had become an important player, pouncing on turnovers and carrying the puck with speed up ice. As his wrist rehabbed and his shooting improved, he started finding the back of the net with regularity.
But success came at a cost. Mikheyev had become so successful that he priced himself out of a contract with the Maple Leafs. Negotiations ended early because he and the organization were simply unable to find a mutually happy place for a new contract.
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If he was going to be paid really well, it was not going to be by the Maple Leafs. As a result, before the beginning of last season, he signed with the Vancouver Canucks for four years at $4.75 million per season.
Mikheyev’s 2022-23 Season Starts Slowly in Vancouver
Unfortunately, his Canucks tenure started slowly after he was injured during the preseason, and he missed the first three games of the campaign. Finally, he was taken off injured reserve on Oct. 18 and played his first game of the season against the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, he didn’t score his first point until late October when he registered a power-play assist in a 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
After returning from injury, Mikheyev mainly played top-six minutes. He scored two goals (one on the power play) against the Seattle Kraken in a 5-4 late-October win and registered two assists against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the next game. Suddenly, he was producing.
Mikheyev continued his production into early November. In a win over the Anaheim Ducks, he extended his scoring streak with an assist to bring his total to two goals and four assists in six games. He began to look more confident as he became more accustomed to his new team’s systems.
In November, Mikheyev Played Regularly on the Second Line
In November, Mikheyev regularly played on the second line and became a regular contributor on the scoresheet, scoring three goals and three assists in five games. Then he hit a slump and went four games without a point.
However in late November, he put together a three-game point streak, starting with a goal against the Colorado Avalanche. But although he was playing top-six minutes, he was streaky and inconsistent. In October, he had been shooting at a 20 percent clip, but in November, his success rate fell to just over 14 percent.
After a November Slump, Mikheyev Begins to Score in December
On December 5, after being held off the scoresheet for three games, Mikheyev had a breakthrough. He scored two goals in a 7-6 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens. On December 19, the Canucks lost to the St. Louis Blues, with Mikheyev scoring the team’s only goal.
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In his last game before the Christmas break, Mikheyev scored against the Edmonton Oilers in his team’s comeback 5-2 win. By Christmas, Mikheyev had scored 11 goals and seven assists (for 18 points) in 30 games on the season.
Mikheyev Returns from Christmas Break on a Roll
Mikheyev came roaring back in the team’s first game after the Christmas break and put up his best game of the season against the San Jose Sharks, leading the team with a goal and three assists in a 6-2 win. He also generated a plus-5 rating in that game. With his linemates (Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser), the trio scored four goals and seven assists (for 11 points).
He added another strong performance against the Avalanche with two assists in a 4-2 win. Then, again, Mikheyev’s scoring became sporadic. He had two multi-point efforts over his past five games but had registered zero points in the other three games of that span.
Sadly, Mikheyev Suffered a Season-Ending Injury
Unfortunately, in late January, it was announced that Mikheyev’s season was over. He was shut down to undergo ACL surgery.
Apparently, he had been trying to play through the injury after being hurt in the preseason. It was a devastating end to his season. After being placed on injured reserve, Mikheyev was subsequently moved to the long-term injured reserve list on Feb. 5, 2023.
Reviewing Mikheyev’s First Season with the Canucks
Given what we now know about his nagging injury, fans might think differently of his season. He ended with 13 goals and 15 assists (for 28 points) in 46 games, but given the severity of his knee condition, his first season with the Canucks was far from a bust.
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The young winger is expected to be ready for training camp for the 2023-24 season; however, his recovery timeline has not been disclosed. The Canucks missed Mikheyev’s contributions over the remainder of the season, and he missed the considerable changes within the organization.
Can Mikheyev Have a Career Season in 2023-24?
Mikheyev showed signs of offensive potential last season. Had he been able to replicate his pace from the first half, he would have ended up with over 20 goals and a 50-point season.
Given that his best season was in 2021-22 when he put up 32 points, look for Mikheyev to shatter his career-best season with the Canucks. He was only seven points from that mark with half the season remaining. Should he become a solid offensive performer, he’s sure to become every bit the fan favorite in Vancouver as he was in Toronto. Here’s hoping Mikheyev can become their go-to player. If so, he’s landed well.