Hockey is just around the corner. We are about a month away from teams returning to their home rinks for training camp. But for now, there isn’t much going on.
Most teams have their rosters for camp solidified. There are a few minor free agents still looking for new teams. But barring any crazy moves, there won’t be much news for the next few weeks.
So why not take a look into the future and project who could be dominating the league in five years? That is exactly what Paul Pidutti of Daily Faceoff recently did. Using multiple factors, including players' current statistics and trajectories similar to their current positions, a list of 30 players was compiled. Pidutti also admitted to using ‘gut feelings’ as part of his long-time analysis.
Numerous names on this list make sense. Connor McDavid is likely still to be a force in the league at 33. Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes will continue to battle it out at 31 and 30. Jake Oettinger (31) and Igor Shesterkin (34) could remain among the top goaltenders.
But, there is one omission from this list that leaves questions. Listed as only an honorable mention, Matvei Michkov is not among the 30 players. After a 26-goal, 63-point campaign in his rookie season, it’s absurd to believe that Michkov won’t get better with age. Are we dinging him because it was his first season?
That’s absolutely not the case, as Macklin Celebrini found himself as the third-best player on this list. That’s ahead of players like Kirill Kaprizov, Auston Matthews, and even Leon Draisaitl. By the way, it’s crazy to believe that while McDavid will continue to be the best, Draisaitl sits all the way down at #23. But that’s not the point here.
Michkov posted more goals and had an identical point total to Celebrini. Are we saying that because Celebrini is a center and faces more responsibilities that he projects to be a better player? A closer look shows many of the advanced numbers between the two favor Michkov or are at least extremely close. It’s fair to believe that Michkov needs work on the defensive side, but that would be a crazy reason to leave him off.
And don’t get us started on having two players on the list that haven’t even debuted in the NHL. Gavin McKenna, the projected top pick in 2026, sits in the top 10. A player who has not stepped foot on NHL ice is already projected to be a top player in five years. What McKenna did at the junior level is superb, but how are we already crowning him a top player in the NHL?
Same with Zeev Buium, who just made the list at 27. Another player who hasn’t played a game at the professional level will apparently be better than Michkov in five years. We could talk about the omission of other players as well, like Mitch Marner and Jason Robertson, but again, that’s not what this is for.
Briefly looking at other players on the list, Leo Carlsson has 74 career points in 131 games. Michkov nearly did that in 80 games. Connor Bedard finished with three fewer goals and only four more points, and has played a season more.
It's hard to believe Michkov is still facing this kind of disrespect. The proof lies in his production in just one season. And with more freedom and a skilled player like Trevor Zegras alongside him, there’s no telling what the future holds.
Michkov will be 25 years old in 2030. If he did what he did now at 20, you’re saying it’s not going to get even better five years down the line?
Keep disrespecting Michkov. He’ll just continue to shine.