The Philadelphia Flyers have the chance to get even better entering this offseason. The Flyers made it to the playoffs and won a series to make it to the second round. While all the talk will be about who the team could add this offseason, the Flyers will have to make an effort to retain some of their key players, notably center Trevor Zegras and goalie Dan Vladar.
There is another player who is due for a new contract next summer, and that's winger Matvei Michkov. The 21-year-old is coming off a season in which he didn't match the production of his rookie season, talks surrounding him of showing up to training camp out of shape, and getting benched by head coach Rick Tocchet in the playoffs. Michkov is already getting a head start to his offseason after saying he needed to play better..
While speaking with NHL.com's Adam Kimelman at the Scouting Combine on June 3, general manager Danny Briere talked about impending contract negotiations with players. When it comes to Michkov, Briere said he wants to see how he performs this upcoming season first.
Danny Briere taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to Matvei Michkov contract talks
"I think after this season ... he's a very competitive guy," Briere said, h/t NHL.com. "I think he wants to prove to everyone that there's more there. I know (what) he prefers at this point; it's the best thing for him to wait and come back and show us what he's all about."
It makes sense why Briere wouldn't want to negotiate a new deal with Michkov just yet. First, there are higher priorities on Briere's offseason checklist, including Vladar and Zegras, two players who significantly helped the Flyers make it into the postseason and into the second round. For Michkov, the fanbase and the team are wondering if he could truly be a cornerstone for the franchise for years to come.
Michkov's rookie season was impressive, as he scored 26 goals and 37 assists in 80 games, resulting in him finishing fourth place in Calder Trophy voting.
But this season, there were plenty of ups and downs. Obviously, there were the rumors and reports that Michkov showed up to training camp out of shape, while lacking consistency to start the season. But when looking at the Flyers' post-Olympic hot streak, Michkov played a pivotal role in the team making the playoffs. In 26 games, Michkov scored seven goals and recorded 15 assists. One of those goals helped the Flyers clinch their playoff spot and third place in the Metropolitan Division with a 3-2 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Apr. 13.
But once the playoffs came around, Michkov became a non-factor, especially in the eyes of Tocchet, being healthy scratched for two games, and only recording one assist in eight games.
There's no denying that the Flyers still have faith in Michkov. They just want to see him take that next step and show more consistency. If Michkov does that next season, one has to imagine Briere would try to workout a new contract with him quickly. Until then, this is an important offseason for the now third-year player.
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