While news filtered out on Sunday that Matvei Michkov would be leaving his KHL club for the Philadelphia Flyers, the termination became official today with SKA St. Petersburg taking to social media to make the announcement.
The Flyers came out with a statement of their own from General Manager Daniel Brière:
“The Philadelphia Flyers were informed earlier today of Matvei Michkov’s release from his KHL contract with SKA Hockey Club.
We are certainly excited to learn of this news and look forward to reconnecting with Matvei’s representatives in the coming days.
Additionally, we are appreciative of SKA Saint Petersburg for allowing Matvei Michkov to pursue his dream of playing in the NHL.”
Michkov followed suit with a statement of his own – which was translated and posted on “X” by Hockey News Hub – where he thanked SKA St. Petersburg, expressed his desire to play in the NHL, and fulfilling a long time dream of his late father:
Michkov was initially not supposed to make his way over to the NHL until at least 2026, which was when his contract in the KHL was set to expire. However, things changed on a dime earlier in the offseason when reports were coming out that Michkov and SKA St. Petersburg could be working on a buyout.
After careful deliberation, it seems that Michkov was granted a release based on “compassionate grounds” due to the passing of his late father. They had made an earlier mention about that situation as well, citing that it would be difficult for him to play through that kind of pain and tragedy.
“…We must not forget that Matvey experienced a terrible tragedy, having lost his father, who was also a mentor for him, being by his side all the time. It’s hard to play psychologically, whether it’s Sochi or Moscow, where everything reminds you of this loss. Maybe a change of scenery will make it easier to adapt.”
It is also understood that Michkov’s KHL rights will still belong with SKA St. Petersburg in the event he returns to Russia. As for the Flyers, the rest of the offseason will assuredly revolve around Michkov – understandably so. An entry-level contract should be announced shortly and there’s a small chance that he will be in town for development camp.
Nevertheless, the offseason has officially begun with the Florida Panthers being crowned NHL champions. The buyout window opens tomorrow, the NHL Entry Draft will kick off on Friday and rounds 2-7 will continue on Saturday, and free agency opens on Monday.
The Flyers’ offseason plans might change ever so slightly now with Michkov in the midst but they will still focus on rebuilding, whether that’s on the fly or aggressively. They currently have the 12th and 32nd overall picks in the first round, they have been engaged in trade talks to potentially move up with either Utah at 6 or Ottawa at 7, and they’ve inquired about Trevor Zegras and Martin Nečas at various points this summer.
Michkov is one of the best prospects currently in the NHL, he will be apart of a deep and loaded race for the Calder Trophy in 2024-25, and should be a prominent feature offensively for a Flyers team that desperately needs scoring, exciting skill, and star talent.
