VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks acquired forward Ilya Safonov from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations on Saturday.
Safonov had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists), 22 penalty minutes and a plus-22 rating in 51 games for Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in 2024-25.
He added another five points (three goals, two assists) in 13 post-season games.
In 263 career KHL games across parts of seven seasons, the 24-year-old has 95 points (49 goals, 46 assists).
The six-foot-four, 205-pound Russian centre has yet to play in the NHL.
Safonov was a sixth-round pick (172nd overall) of the Blackhawks in the 2021 NHL Draft.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2025.
The Canadian Press
