A timeline of Matvei Michkov’s arrival to Philadelphia

It wasn’t supposed to happen this soon. Matvei Michkov was not coming for three years.

That was the talk leading up to the 2023 NHL Draft. Michkov was arguably one of the best players available and could’ve been the top pick if Connor Bedard was not involved.

But a three-year contract in the KHL and the geopolitical issues involved with bringing a foreign player over caused him to slip in the draft. The names began to come off the board and it became a real possibility that Michkov could slip to the Flyers.

What happened next was the true beginning of the New Era of Orange.

The not as long timeline of Matevi Michkov’s arrival to Philadelphia

The seventh overall selection came and there he was. Michkov was still available and the Flyers didn’t hesitate to select him. That was the plan all along and no one knew it.

The Flyers brass had a meeting with Michkov before the draft. It took place at the Voorhees Skate Zone. It was so secret that no one found out until after Philadelphia drafted him.

Both sides showed a tremendous interest in one another, leading to his selection. While the Flyers may have had interest in other players, it's clear Michkov was their target if he was available. After the draft, GM Danny Briere stated that the organization was well aware of his obligations in the KHL. But they felt it was worth the risk as he was a talent they could not let pass them by.

Loan to Sochi

Michkov began the season on SKA St. Petersburg's roster. But playing time was at a premium. He was scratched in the first two games of the season. When he made his debut, he only played six minutes before subsequently being scratched again. With no end in sight, Michkov was loaned to HK Sochi for the second straight season.

The expectation was that Michkov would take the next step in his development and find a role on SKA. But with the team seemingly unwilling to play their young star over veterans, he was forced to go elsewhere. It was a good move in terms of getting playing time, but it wasn't necessarily a place Michkov wanted to return to.

His father tragically passed away last April and everything around there reminded him of his father. But with no choice, Michkov was off to Sochi. Unfortunately, Sochi was not a top team like SKA was. They had missed the playoffs in five straight seasons which was a shame because Michkov had shined in his limited postseason experience. He had 27 points in 27 postseason games in the MHL.

What did Michkov do while on loan? He fell just one point shine of the KHL's all-time scoring record for a rookie. He finished the season with 41 points, one shy of the record set by Kirill Kaprisov in 2016-17. Michkov did that while missing a few weeks due to pneumonia, costing him valuable time. he was named a KHL All-Star as well, though was unable to participate due to the illness.

Rumblings of contract termination begin

It was early May when the rumblings began regarding Michkov's contract being terminated with SKA. A decision was said to be coming in June on what would happen. At the time of these rumblings, the Flyers were not aware of anything coming. At least, that's what was said out loud. Knowing what came next, it would not be a shock if the team was aware the entire time.

Weeks went by with no news of Michkov's status. It was beginning to feel like the rumors were just that. Regardless of what happened, the Flyers' stance remained the same regarding the rebuild. His potential arrival wasn't going to speed things up.

But still, what would it be like if he came over much earlier than expected? Would other teams look foolish for letting him slip through their fingers? Five teams had the chance to take him after Chicago selected Bedard first overall.

It was just over a month after the rumblings began that the good news came.

Michkov's KHL contract gets terminated

June 23 has been quite the day in Flyers history. Massive trades have happened multiple times on this day, including the blockbuster deals with Jeff Carter and Mike Richards. While Michkov's contract wasn't terminated on this day, it was Elliotte Friedman who dropped the bomb.

Now, he didn't flat-out say that Michkov was coming to Philadelphia. But usually, when he reports on something, he knows what he is talking about. He shared the growing optimism that Philadelphia was going to be able to get their star forward much earlier than anticipated.

Two days later, SKA announced that Michkov's contract was terminated. They prefaced that his KHL rights would remain with them, but that he was off to Philadelphia to begin his NHL career. It was a risk that was paying off. No doubt he would've been taken higher if teams knew that coming to North America after one year would be a possibility. But of course, we also don't know if this was due to his extreme desire to play for the Flyers.

Entry-level contract signed

All that was left was to put pen to paper and make things official. It didn't happen right away, but also didn't take too long. When free agency opened, the Flyers dropped the news. Michkov was officially signed to his entry-level deal. It was possibly the best signing Philadelphia could've made. Okay, that might be a stretch. But it was certainly exciting nonetheless.

"I’m extremely happy to officially become a part of the Flyers family," Michkov said in the Flyers release. "Being in the NHL has been a dream for me since childhood. I would like to say a huge thank you to the Flyers management for their trust. I will do everything possible to meet their expectations. I can't wait to join my teammates and start preparing for the new season together, and I would especially like to greet our fans. We have the same dream to win the Stanley Cup and I promise that will do my best to help this team and make that possible."

With the logistics and legalities of coming to North America, Michkov was unable to make the Flyers development camp. At the time, Briere was unsure of when he would be coming. Training camp was the next major event but it was all going to depend on Michkov and when he was planning to come.

What we found out shortly after was that he already had at least one player in his corner. Erik Johnson, who re-signed with the Flyers to open up free agency, talked about having already spoken to Michkov to offer his assistance. Whether it was something on the ice or something as simple as needing a dinner recommendation. Having a veteran like that reaching out no doubt helped Michkov to begin making this new adjustment.

Michkov arrives in Philadelphia

Another few weeks went by, but the major news was out of the way by then. Michkov was signed and would be playing with the Flyers in the 2024-25 season. So it didn't necessarily matter when he chose to arrive. But when he posted an Instagram story of him on an airplane on Monday morning, eyes were wide open.

Kevin Kurz then added to the speculation, reporting that Michkov was indeed on his way to Philadelphia and would arrive on Tuesday. So now it was sitting and waiting to see when that happened. Or if you're like others, it's tracking flights that you believe he is on and determining where and when he might land.

It ended up being at JFK International Airport on Tuesday morning. Danny Briere, Keith Jones, and other members of the organization came to bring their prized possession home. Pictures flooded social media after his arrival, including meeting some of the team's other prospects in Voorhees.

And unsurprisingly, the work in the gym has already begun. This moment made everything feel real. Michkov was in Philadelphia, already sporting a Phillies hat. This was really happening.

Michkov will meet with the media for the first time as an official member of the Flyers on Wednesday morning. And then it's time to get to work.