Report: Matvei Michkov’s KHL contract to be terminated, will continue playing with Flyers

Matvei Michkov’s contract with KHL giant SKA Saint Petersburg will be terminated so he can continue his career with the Philadelphia Flyers, according to a report from Russian outlet Sport-Express.

At least one Russian source (Sport-Express) is claiming that Matvei Michkov will “will continue his career in Philadelphia” next season.

His contract with SKA will reportedly be terminated and his KHL rights will remain with them.

Info picked up from @HockeyNewsHub:… pic.twitter.com/V8FtfqbU0f

— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) May 19, 2024

Reporter Arthur Khairullin broke the news and stated that SKA will retain the KHL rights to Michkov after termination as well.

According to X (formerly Twitter) account Hockey News Hub, SKA head coach Roman Roterberg stated, “There will be news about Matvei Michkov soon, some legal details remain to be resolved.”

Rotenberg notoriously cut Michkov’s ice time by a significant margin and even healthy scratched him with SKA before he was loaned back to HK Sochi, where he racked up 41 points (19G, 22A) in 47 games this season.

The seventh overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft by Philadelphia, Michkov initially saw his KHL deal run through 2026, leaving the Flyers without their top prospect for another two seasons. However, that’s all potentially changed in the blink of an eye after the report broke this morning.

If the report is correct, which the Flyers are currently trying to figure out, they will have an opportunity to negotiate Michkov’s entry-level contract.

Should Michkov actually come over, it would represent the third KHL transaction the Flyers have made since March. Goaltender Alexei Kolosov left his loan from Dinamo Minsk and joined AHL Lehigh Valley, and goaltender Ivan Fedotov had his contract terminated by CSKA Moscow after the KHL season ended so he could serve as Samuel Ersson’s backup before signing a two-year extension.