Porter Martone hasn't had the easiest start, and that could put a little more pressure on Matvei Michkov to take another step for the Philadelphia Flyers. Martone is still young and has plenty of time to develop, but there were expectations around him coming into the season, and his struggles have added another layer to the conversation around Philadelphia's young forwards.
Michkov is obviously in a different spot. He has already shown that he can produce at the NHL level, and the Flyers are expecting him to become one of the team's better offensive players. If Martone isn't able to find his game, though, more attention is naturally going to fall on Michkov.
That isn't necessarily fair to either player, but that's how it works when a team has young players expected to be important parts of its future. Philadelphia needs someone to take that next step, and Michkov is the player who has already shown he can do it.
Flyers should promote Michkov to take pressure off of Martone
Martone's struggles don't suddenly make Michkov responsible for carrying the Flyers. There are plenty of other players who need to contribute, and the team can't expect one young forward to solve everything. At the same time, Michkov is going to be one of the players everyone watches as the season moves along.
There is also a big opportunity here for Michkov. If he can put together a strong season while Martone is trying to find his footing, it could make the difference in how people view the Flyers' young core. Michkov doesn't need to worry about what Martone is doing, but his own performance becomes more important when another young player is struggling.
For Martone, the biggest thing is simply giving himself time. It’s not uncommon for young players to struggle early in their careers, especially those who are high draft picks. The thing is, he doesn't need to prove everything right away, and one difficult stretch isn't going to decide what his NHL career looks like. That said, he would be smart to take the demotion and make the most of some pressure being taken off him and put on to Michkov.
For Philadelphia, though, getting more out of Michkov would certainly help. If he can take another step offensively and become a consistent threat, it would give the Flyers something they need while Martone works through his struggles.
If Michkov can do that, Martone will have more time to develop without the same amount of pressure on him. And for the Flyers, having both players eventually reach their potential is still the main goal. They are still in the final stages of the rebuild, where if they miss the playoffs, it’s not the end of the world. However, if things come together and they manage to make it for the second season in a row, there won’t be huge expectations on them.
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