The Canucks have been working to find a trade partner for Ilya Mikheyev since the season ended, and by the looks of it, it may be happening.
In the NHL, cap space is a significant currency, and the trade between the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks brokered, which was a pretty good demonstration of it. They saw Jake Wallman moving from Detroit to San Jose alongside a second-round pick for future considerations (nothing). Recent reports now suggest that the Canucks have come around to the idea of paying to rid themselves of a restraining contract.
Rick Dhaliwal, who's well-connected with Mikheyev's agent, later confirmed that the hold-up was that Mikheyev had not yet waived his No-Trade Clause for the Blackhawks.
A trade of this sort would help the Canucks make big waves in free agency. As they're potentially freeing up an additional $4.75M on the salary cap, it could be enough to heavily pursue Jake Guentzel and perhaps re-sign both Nikita Zadorov and Dakota Joshua.
