Well, the short-lived outcry is finally over. Philadelphia Flyers prospect Matvei Michkov was a healthy scratch by SKA St. Petersburg for the first two games of their season, but head coach Roman Rotenberg will be inserting him into the lineup for the team’s matchup against the Igor Larionov-led, division rival Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.
Rotenberg had previously suggested that Michkov would be used primarily as a ‘limiter’, or in other words, SKA’s 13th forward. Over the last two games, that role has been occupied by 2024 draft-eligible Ivan Demidov, who is surely being monitored by the Flyers front office and scouting team, too. Effectively, like how it often goes in the NHL, Michkov will have to work twice as hard in order to earn a regular place in the team, primarily due to the amount of veterans on the roster.
Some Flyers figures had reported online the possibility of Michkov being scratched because he outwardly expressed his intent to play in the NHL. This was incorrect, and gave the false impression of a possibility of the 2023 No. 7 pick leaving Russia early. Rotenberg is the vice president of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, but the Ivan Fedotov debacle is unlikely to have had any impact on Michkov’s playing time or his prospects of playing in North America.
Last year, playing time was of no concern to Michkov, and apparently not to the Flyers either. The 18-year-old played in just three games with SKA in 2022 before making pitstops with HK Sochi, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg, and Kapitan Stupino. Of those three, only Sochi played in the KHL, but they were one of the worst teams so Michkov was afforded all the ice time in the world.
It is unclear whether he will ever get that playing time under Rotenberg at one of the KHL’s biggest and best clubs, but everyone knows what Michkov can do with a good enough opportunity. In 27 games with Sochi last year, the offensive dynamo produced nine goals and 20 points – an unprecedented rate, especially for a player of his age.
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Alas, Michkov’s debut is just another game, similar to how his two absences were just two games. There is no pattern to identify here and at this point, it seems things will be taken one game and one week at a time. At worst, the Flyers’ young star can go on loan to another KHL club like he did last season.