The Vancouver Canucks are looking for young talent, and that makes Ivan Miroshnichenko a name worth watching.
The 22-year-old winger is on the trade market, and according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Washington Capitals have given him permission to speak with other teams. Friedman said in his Saturday Headlines feature: “He’s played three games this year, scored against Montreal, but he just can’t get in the lineup,” said Friedman. “He’s been given permission to talk to other teams by the Capitals.”
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that Vancouver is among the clubs interested in Miroshnichenko, but the Canucks are not alone. The Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, Seattle Kraken, Los Angeles Kings, and Philadelphia Flyers are also said to be in the mix.
Miroshnichenko was taken 20th overall in the 2022 draft, though many evaluators likely viewed him as a player with first-round value even earlier. His draft stock was affected by the so-called Russian factor and a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma during his draft year.
By the time of the 2022 Draft, though, he was fully in remission. He also spent just one more season in Russia after being drafted before moving to North America, where he has played professionally for the last three seasons.
The problem has been NHL ice time. He has not been able to carve out a regular role at that level, and his situation has some overlap with that of Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who went five picks ahead of him in 2022.
Lekkerimäki has been a major offensive threat in the AHL, piling up 37 goals and 76 points in 94 games over the last two seasons. At the NHL level, though, he has six goals and 14 points in 55 career games. This season, the rebuilding Canucks have given him a chance, and he is taking advantage of it.
Miroshnichenko has not had that kind of opening in Washington. The Capitals’ wing depth has kept him stuck on the outside looking in.
If Vancouver wanted to create space, there are a few possible paths: moving a veteran forward, waiving Arshdeep Bains, or sending Victor Mancini to the AHL while he remains exempt from waivers.
The price, though, is the sticking point.
“What the Capitals have said here is they have to get a legit return,” reported Friedman. “They’re not going to put him on waivers; they know he won’t clear.
They will trade him, but the return has to be legitimate. They won’t do it just for the sake of doing it.”
That means the Canucks would be buying low on a player whose NHL numbers have been limited. But with multiple teams interested, the cost could rise.
Friedman also said on the 32 Thoughts podcast that the return might resemble the package the Pittsburgh Penguins used to acquire Egor Chinakhov: Danton Heinen, a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick.
Chinakhov ended up finding his game in Pittsburgh, producing 18 goals and 36 points in 43 games last season.
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