Historically, the Philadelphia Flyers decide to make franchise-altering moves on June 23rd. There is the Mike Richards trade, the Jeff Carter trade, and sending James van Riemsdyk to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The theatrics know no bounds. Now, Matvei Michkov joins the list, but for a more exciting reason.
Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period reported that Michkov is terminating his contract with SKA. St Petersburg in the KHL to join the Flyers. Last month, reports surfaced regarding Michkov, citing he could break free of his contract sooner than expected, but nothing was confirmed.
Michkov, drafted 7th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, came with a little bit of controversy. Leading up to the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, rumors spun about an alleged attitude problem, and the likelihood of him moving to North America was slim. The Flyers were not deterred and held a ‘secret’ meeting with Michkov at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, NJ. It seemed he only had his sight set on Philadelphia.
At one point, Michkov was neck-and-neck with Connor Bedard, but Bedard separated himself from the rest of his 2023 NHL Entry Draft class. Bedard was undoubtedly the first overall pick, but Michkov slid down the field – much to the pleasure of the Flyers.
In 2022-2023, Michkov totaled 20 points (9G, 11A) in 27 games on loan with HK Sochi in the KHL, then followed up that campaign with 41 points (19G, 22A) in 47 games this season. Michkov broke countless records in the U18 and U19 Russian circuit, besting Alexander Ovechkin and Kirill Kaprizov.
What the Flyers do this offseason remains to be seen. They were painfully close to achieving a postseason berth this season. Entering the second year of the ‘New Era of Orange’ rebuild, Daniel Brière pulled off spectacular feats, but this could be his best move to date.
The Flyers were prepared to wait for Michkov to arrive in 2026-2027, but his reported arrival two years early is a testament to how vital he is for the rebuild. His high-end ability is desperately needed. Michkov is full of potential and skill, and the Flyers will assuredly do everything in their power to surround him with the right weapons to succeed. In his 2023 NHL Entry Draft class, he was considered to be a ‘generational talent’ like Bedard.
“The mindset for us is still we’re going into next season without him. He has two years left on his contract, and if something changes from today until then, we’ll certainly be happy.”- Daniel Brière; 6/20/2024
Recently, the Flyers received interest regarding Cam Atkinson. A buyout is a possibility if they cannot find a trade partner. The Flyers have too many wingers, and with Michkov in the mix, the days are numbered for Atkinson with the buyout window opening Wednesday. It will be a frantic week with the Stanley Cup Finals concluding tomorrow, the buyout window opening, the 2024 NHL Entry Draft taking place on Friday and Saturday, and the NHL Free Agency frenzy beginning next Monday.
Now, we can say Michkov is arriving in Philadelphia. The Flyers’ best prospect since Eric Lindros is scheduled to be on the ice next season.
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