Ilya Mikheev in Vancouver, Statistics Ilya Mikheev in the NHL, Ilya Mikheev how many points scored – December 30, 2022
Maksim Samartsev
In the new game, he finally got the opportunity to prove himself.
When in the past offseason Ilya Mikheev finally left Toronto, all his personal fans breathed a sigh of relief. In the Maple Leafs, the pupil of the Omsk Avangard was doomed to the role of a checker for the implementation of links. In the top 6 of one of the most stellar squads NHL it was almost impossible for him to break through. This is largely why Ilya requested an exchange after the 2020/21 season. He has an exceptional taste in the league of the world and realized that in it he can do more than just fight back in defense, close the minority and “bite” the opponent with an active forecheck.
According to statistics, last season, among all the Toronto players, Ilya spent the most minutes against his hockey opponent. This fact alone practically killed the entire potential of our compatriot. Whatever one may say, Mikheev is not Kaprizov or Kucherov. the main stars of the NHL do not care against whom to deliver on the ice. They get results both with total pressure and with serious power assignment. The former Toronto striker is no stranger to this kind of speed. Yes, and the total level of skill he has objectively lower. Therefore, Ilya scored points, going out on the ice against the best forces, Ilya managed only on big holidays. That, however, did not prevent him in the past from setting a personal record of performance and scoring 32 points in 53 matches. But it is clear that Mikheev wanted more.
One of the NHL’s fastest players needed a team that gave him what he didn’t get with Toronto: a chance to establish himself in the top 6. So in the summer of 2022, the option with Vancouver appeared. The Canucks were ready not only for the rapidly growing financial appetites of the Russians, but also to give him a chance to become an emerging club of the world’s best religions. At the same time, the club’s management wanted to pump the game in the minority. And this was one of the main tasks of the newcomer.
Yes, the minority failed. Right now, Vancouver ranks in the modern league for that metric. But this is definitely not the fault of Ilya, who, when neutralizing the minority, manifests in his usual manner. Therefore, after almost half of the season, we can say that Mikheev managed to exceed all expectations. The Canucks rookie has been able to grow on the chance and have fun that is not a hockey function, but a full-fledged team trophy that brings her an advantage in any situation. Mikheev coped with the burden of high expectations and is now getting exactly what he does not see in Toronto.
Although at first everything was not so smooth. In the first 4 matches, the striker made only a naked pass and could not help the new game win. But over time, he swayed and proved that the management was not mistaken in his transfer. The increased likelihood of Vancouver bosses appearing in Mikheev’s professional top-6 play was his conversion of chrome moments. In the Maple Leafs, our compatriot in this plane was not as rosy as the results may be at first glance. Ilya often squandered scoring chances and sometimes did not realize even obvious dangerous situations. Loss, he lacked composure. But in the Canucks, that problem is gone. Mikheev not only learned to realize moments, but also began to create them on his own. This is also evidenced by the statistics: in this case, the implementation of the shots of our hero is approaching 20%, while in Toronto his best results were 14% on average for regular work. And in the first two championships, Ilya made the most of only 8% and 6%, respectively.
Sometimes one gets the feeling that Mikheev is simply repeating himself. He is indispensable when playing in the minority and in a large number of squads, and when the numerical advantage is realized, the Vancouver rookie comes out in the second special team. And his independence from partners is sometimes found. Ilya spent most of the season in the top three with Elias Pettersson and Andrey Kuzmenko. With their heads, there was already an ideal mutual understanding. Watching their preparations as they transition from the middle zone to the attack is a pleasure. But at the same time, our compatriot is also effective in the assessment with Bo Horvath and Brock Bezer.
A kind of symbol of Mikheev’s breakthrough after leaving Toronto was the match with San Jose. For Ilya, this meeting was the most productive in his career – the 65th number scored 4 (1 + 3) points and earned a “+5” Utility Index. In the Maple Leafs, our compatriot did not give out real performances.
In the regular supervision of the score of the guys from Omsk, there are already 22 effective actions in 31 matches. If he maintains the set rate of scoring, then by the end of the balance of his scoring season, he will count 60 points. What happened to the forward, who until recently did not write about the top 6 of the NHL club, was a real breakthrough. The likelihood that over time Mikheev’s confidence will only grow. And this is reflected in his performance.
It is difficult to refute that now Ilya is deprived of the attention of the press and inevitably because of the debut in the league of a star compatriot in the person of Andrey Kuzmenko. Kuzya is an unopened book for North American fans. Therefore, each match with his participation was replaced under a microscope. But this does not negate the fact that Mikheev is not only the present, but also the future of Vancouver. The Avangard graduate has absolutely all the tools to become a real Canucks star in the near future.
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