To this day, it is insanity that Matvei Michkov was the seventh overall draft pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Daniel Brière did what six other general managers would not. He selected Michkov. From a pure talent point of view, it was an easy selection.
Kyle Davidson of the Chicago Blackhawks selected Connor Bedard with the first overall pick, which was safe as the consensus generational talent superstar of the draft class. Michkov would slide past the Anaheim Ducks (Leo Carlsson), the Columbus Blue Jackets (Adam Fantilli), the San Jose Sharks (Will Smith), the Montréal Canadiens (David Reinbacher), and the Arizona Coyotes (now Utah Hockey Club, Dmitri Simashev).
Arguably, a couple of those teams attacked the areas of position needs with who was the best available on the board. Carlsson to the Ducks made sense. Debatably, Fantilli to the Blue Jackets, too. Notoriously, the Canadiens likely wanted Michkov. The Philadelphia Flyers (13-12-4) draw the ire because they landed a generational talent with the seventh overall pick. But there must be more to the story.
Vladimir Pluschev, via Russia-Hockey, spoke out regarding why Michkov began to fall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Pluschev felt this case surrounding Michkov was the most interesting at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and so did many watching along. A former coach of the Russian National Team, Pluschev said a skater with talent like Michkov had not been present for ‘several years.’ He added, ‘There’s no doubt in my mind that Michkov’s potential is number one in the draft, on par with Canada’s Bedard.’
Yes, that tracks with the thought process of just about every scout.
The standing contract with the KHL, the lack of a memorandum of understanding between the NHL and KHL, and the ongoing political issues were all marked as potential reasons other teams might steer away from Michkov. However, there was an underlying comment made directly about Michkov. It was the rumor regarding his demeanor and attitude. The where and the why regarding that assumption had a touch to do with him slipping in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Enter Andrei Nikolishin. He sprung the criticism of Michkov and was the Russian Amateur Scout for the Washington Capitals in the 2022-2023 season.
“I can show correspondence when I wanted to meet him [Michkov] and, as a scout, ask a few questions and do an interview. I have not seen such disrespect for other people in my life.” – Andrei Nikolishin; 6/16/2023
Conveniently, the Capitals were after Philadelphia in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. In all probability, Nikolishin pushed his criticism regarding Michkov to secure the generational talent. Instead, Brière did not bite. An underhanded tactic did not scare away the Flyers, a rival to Washington in the NHL Metropolitan Division. Perhaps Montréal should be directing their anger toward Nikolishin after all.
Nikolishin has not been an NHL scout since 2022-2023. Michkov currently leads NHL rookies in points and is the NHL Calder Memorial Trophy favorite. If you compare Michkov to any forward from the top ten of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft this season, he is the only one scoring at a point-per-game pace.
Brian MacLellan wanted Michkov. The ‘concern’ raised by Nikolishin raised a couple of red flags. However, it was not a concern to the Capitals. The trouble raised was an in-house design.
Michkov is with Philadelphia and is shining ahead of schedule in the NHL. Brière called the bluff and won big. The Flyers fanbase could arrange a ‘thank you’ to Nikolishin because his plan worked on other franchises but not well enough for Washington.
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