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The Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks both have a handful of players who could be traded ahead of the NHL trade deadline.
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It turns out that both the Canucks and Blackhawks could be involved in a potential trade.
This is because of salary retention in the deal. The Canucks have currently paid 15% of Ilya Mikheyev’s salary this season.
If the Blackhawks decide to move Mikheyev elsewhere, they can keep more of his money, making him cheaper for acquiring teams.
This time of year, especially with postseason salary cap adjustments approaching, money is more important than ever for NHL teams.
Mikheyev is listed on the Athletic’s Chris Johnston trade committee, and considering he’s set to be a free agent after the season, it would be logical for Chicago to move him now and get at least a little bit of value in return.
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“Mikheyev is a big winger who can move up and down the lineup and has considerable versatility in his style of play,” Johnston wrote in a new article on Monday. “Throughout his NHL career, he has been deployed as a penalty killer and a scoring threat in short-handed situations. Not only is Mikheyev a pending UFA, but 15 percent of his contract was retained by the Vancouver Canucks in a previous deal, making him eligible for further cap reduction.”
More: Maple Leafs get help from Flyers in trade for veteran center
At this point, it would be surprising to see Mikheyev staying put. A flurry of activity is still possible before Friday.
If the Blackhawks do move him, they’ll have the Canucks to thank for brokering the deal early.
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