Matvei Michkov will not be winning the Calder Trophy

For a big chunk of this season, Philadelphia Flyers rookie winger Matvei Michkov had the inside track on the Calder Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year. And while it was fun while it lasted, he can no longer be considered the favorite, meaning that unfortunately, the Flyers will remain 0 for their history regarding the Calder.

Michkov has now unquestionably slipped behind Macklin Celebrini of the Sharks, the top pick in the 2024 draft, as Calder's frontrunner. After missing time with an injury early this year, Celebrini has been dynamite since returning and is at 0.9 points per game clip, compared to 0.74 for Michkov.

Both trail a defenseman, Montreal's Lane Hutson, in overall rookie scoring. Hutson has 30 points to lead the pack to this point and he is playing big minutes for a Canadiens club that is surprisingly in playoff contention. Unfortunately, Michkov is not playing such a role, although a lot of it can't be construed as his fault.

Matvei Michkov will not be winning the Calder Trophy

First, the usage, as Michkov is seeing the ice for just 16:28 per game thus far. Meanwhile, Celebrini is receiving over three minutes more than that per night. As mentioned, Celebrini has still played in fewer games than Michkov, but he has nearly caught up in total minutes played on the season thanks to the ice time edge. Point scoring is a product of opportunity, and Celebrini is simply getting more of it right now.

The Sharks don't have any reason to pull back on him, either, as compared to the Flyers' tendency to roll four lines and spread out ice time among their forwards as evenly as possible. Michkov is still doing more with his time than other rookies like Maxim Tsyplakov and Logan Stankoven are with similar usage, but you have to wonder if he could handle a minute or two more per night on average.

And then we come to the other issue holding back Michkov's pursuit of the Calder Trophy: the lack of players around him on his level. This is a long-term project for the Flyers, of course, as they have to find some way to bring in the kind of talent that gels with Michkov. There have been some good games where Michkov has effectively connected with his teammates, but anyone who was watching in the dying moments of Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Toronto saw Michkov with a beautiful setup for Owen Tippett, who missed a yawning cage to ruin a chance to tie the game. It was a frustrating finish and yet another example of Michkov being held off the scoresheet in a game through no fault of his own.

Other than Travis Konecny, with whom Michkov won't often be paired, the Flyers don't possess another consistent offensive weapon. Tippett's misfire perfectly illustrated why we are in Year 3 of him being a guy who tantalizes with his skill but ultimately maxes out in the high 20s instead of being capable of putting up 40 goals. And the rest of the forwards sans Konecny can't even match that level. Michkov can increase the point totals of those around him, but he can't work miracles, and the team can't keep wasting a good deal of the skill plays that he makes. Fixing this issue is perhaps the most important job for Danny Briere and his front-office team.

The organization needs to find players on Michkov's level so that the team can win these kinds of games instead of only managing to win when they get an ugly goal or two and 'gut out' a victory. Too many times this year, the Flyers have objectively outplayed the other team only to see their opponent's star players execute one difference-making play. Michkov is capable of doing that from time to time, but he needs help. Unfortunately, there won't be any of it coming in time to save his Calder Trophy hopes.

Michkov has hit a wall of late; that much cannot be questioned. After tallying 27 points in 27 games to start his NHL career, Michkov has just one goal and one assist (both in the same game) over his last 12 contests. You'll hear more and more from John Tortorella about giving him a break, pulling back his minutes, etc. Hopefully, Michkov will be patient about it and can co-exist with his coach, because the fans sure won't be as calm. Why deprive the fanbase of seeing a special player when there's little else to look forward to at the moment?

Exactly halfway through his rookie campaign, Matvei Michkov sits at 12 goals and 17 points. Double those numbers, and you have 24 goals and 34 assists for 58 points at year's end. Solid for a rookie, but not Calder-worthy numbers and also a bit underwhelming considering where he was after the first two months of the season. Now he looks destined to lose out to Celebrini, who is likely to put up a higher point total this year because he is being given a longer leash. Heck, they could both end up taking a back seat to Hutson if the Canadiens make a surprise playoff appearance. Voters eat that stuff up. Even Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf figures to be in the mix, further stiffening Michkov's competition for the award.

Ultimately, there would be no shame in finishing second or third among a talented group of NHL rookies this year, and it certainly shouldn't have that much of a bearing on Michkov's outlook in the immediate seasons ahead. But it would be yet another disappointment from the Flyers, with the club failing to surround a so-called "centerpiece of the aggressive retool" with what he needs to be successful. Hopefully, they correct it soon.