Ilya Mikheyev's first season in Vancouver left a lot to be desired. Not only did the 28-year-old miss half of his 2022-23 season due to injury, but when he was healthy enough to play, he wasn't nearly as productive as expected, amassing just 13 goals and 28 points in 46 games.
NHL training camps have officially opened up this week, which means that the return of hockey is on the immediate horizon, with pre-season games commencing this weekend. Unfortunately, Mikheyev won't be a participant for the Canucks.
Mikheyev arrived for camp not yet fully recovered from a knee surgery that he had undergone earlier this year. The hope was that he would be ready for contact in the coming days. However, the Canucks have announced that Mikheyev will be leaving training camp for "personal reasons".
The former Leaf signed a 4-year contract with the Canucks last summer worth a staggering $4.75M per season. An excellent penalty killer and a defensively adept winger, Mikheyev's bid to put last season behind him and prepare for a new and hopefully more productive season will have to wait just a little bit longer.
