Philadelphia Flyers: 3 Things to Know About Matvei Michkov

The Philadelphia Flyers won their own draft lottery of sorts when they managed to draft Matvei Michkov at seventh overall. 

Matvei Michkov is no Connor Bedard, but he might just be the next-best thing. One of the biggest question marks heading into the draft, Michkov found his way onto an NHL team, and one that was making a selection in the top-10. After trading away Claude Giroux, the Philadelphia Flyers left themselves devoid of any star talent. With Matvei Michkov now in the fold, everything changes for the franchise.

Commitment to the NHL

The single greatest concern for Matvei Michkov heading into the 2023 NHL Draft was if or when he would be able to come over to North America. With a contract with SKA St. Petersburg until 2026, Michkov won’t be joining the Philadelphia Flyers, or any other team that would’ve considered drafting him, until then.

Despite the concerns, Matvei Michkov was able to not only convince the Philadelphia Flyers that he would come over from Russia, he also convinced them that he wanted to play for the Flyers. Michkov met with the Flyers in private on Friday, and did so a second time in Voorhees, New Jersey at the Flyers Training Center on Sunday. According to Daniel Briere, the training center being closed the day Michkov stopped by was only a coincidence. Regardless, the Flyers scheduling and completing two meetings with Michkov suggests that a.) they were genuinely interested in the player, and b.) they were not as concerned as other teams were.

In regards to Philadelphia and the Flyers themselves, Matvei Michkov had stated that he wanted to play in a “hockey market”. While things might be quiet for a few years still, there won’t be a better way to ignite the Wells Fargo Center than getting a star like Michkov on the ice. This was also something that was likely to have sold Daniel Briere on Michkov. Briere said that “[Matvei Michkov] told us he wants to play in the NHL. He told us he wants to win a Stanley Cup. He told us he wanted to be a Flyer,” only for Michkov to echo those statements. Michkov made himself a bit vulnerable, saying that “Right now, it’s important for me to finish the goal my dad had for me: winning a Stanley Cup”.

Desire to win

Matvei Michkov told the Philadelphia Flyers that he wants to win a Stanley Cup. Based on his body of work in different playoffs and tournaments, Michkov seems like a gamer and a guy that tilts the ice under pressure. In tournaments for Russia, Michkov has been OVER a point-per-game seven times. Michkov has made the MHL playoffs three times: 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23. In 2020-21, Michkov had three points in five games. The following year, Michkov had 17 points in 17 games, with a team-leading 13 goals and the Kharlamov Cup-clinching goal. Splitting time with HK Sochi of the KHL in 2022-23, Michkov had seven points in five playoff games on loan with MHL outfit Kapitan Stupino.

Matvei Michkov also has other awards to his name, like a Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal, a U-18 WJC MVP award, and a U-18 WJC Best Forward award. Other players who were U-18 WJC MVPs? Cole Caufield, Jack Hughes, Clayton Keller, Auston Matthews, and some guy named Connor McDavid. All five of those guys are the best players on their teams, and among the very best in the NHL and the entire world. Michkov loves to win, and he leads the way with his own performances. Michkov is the kind of player who will take the Philadelphia Flyers to the playoffs and then will them to victory all the same.

Play style

By now, it might seem obvious that Matvei Michkov is a really good player. The truth is that Michkov can truly do it all offensively. He’s quick and shifty on his feet, has excellent hands, boasts a heavy shot with an arsenal of release points and other nuances, and sees the ice like he has two heads. Michkov doesn’t have elite size or speed at 5’10” and 148 pounds, but the speed will come with the size as he matures, grows, and gets in the gym. Michkov doesn’t need to skate around people like Connor McDavid or Jack Hughes, though. Enter the zone, get the puck to Michkov (if he doesn’t have it already), and watch magic happen. Comparisons to future Hall of Fame snipers Nikita Kucherov and Alex Ovechkin shouldn’t be taken lightly. At this point, it’s a matter of time – three years to be exact – before Michkov takes over Philadelphia and the NHL.

The Philadelphia Flyers are truly blessed to have Matvei Michkov in the organization.