The situation with Matvei Michkov isn't going away anytime soon, despite the Flyers shutting down rumors that their star forward would prefer a change of scenery. But more details have emerged that put things into perspective.
Friedman sheds light on the situation between Michkov & Flyers
Elliotte Friedman dove into the situation between Michkov and the Flyers on the most recent episode of 32 Thoughts. He addressed how important it was for Danny Briere to get this one right, especially after the Cutter Gauthier saga. The Flyers cannot afford to lose another high-level piece like that. However, the Flyers needed to see more from Michkov, giving him two specific things to work on this past offseason.
""I’ve seen this reported in a couple places, and I do think this matters to the Flyers. In the offseason, they told him, 'We need you to do two things. 'Number one, as every Philly fan knows, is to show up in better shape. Number two: improve his English so he can do more interviews and more communication with his teammates, the coaches, and the fans in English.""Friedman
There's no need to rehash how Michkov came into last season's training camp. It's evident that the Flyers were not happy and wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. There's no tangible number to tell us how Michkov entered this season, but the changes are noticeable in his skating and his overall stamina on the ice.
His English has come leaps and bounds since he first came to North America ahead of the 2024-25 season. Michkov is regularly doing interviews in English and is clearly trying his best to understand more of the language. His increased effort and growing confidence show how comfortable Michkov has gotten, and that's especially important.
Now, the Flyers need to meet him where he is. Michkov put in the work that was asked of him. They must understand that, while things won't be perfect, they need to balance accountability with rewarding Michkov for what he has done.
"Briere feels, and I believe this to be very true, that if they ask Michkov to do this, he does it, and then they start hammering him, the player will feel the efforts he makes are not rewarded. I think Briere takes that very seriously. We asked him to do this. He did. Therefore, we have to show a lot more tolerance and understanding towards him and reward that."
It's important for the Flyers to see the improvements that Michkov has made and understand that some of it couldn't have been easy to navigate. Recognizing his progress instead of focusing on his shortcomings could go a long way. After all, as Briere reportedly believes, what's to stop Michkov from feeling like his efforts are going unnoticed? If he is consistently being singled out, there could be a buildup of resentment.
That's not to say the Flyers can't have expectations for Michkov. They can still want more from him and want him to be a better player in certain areas. He leads the team offensively, but his defensive game could still use some work. That cannot come at the cost of dismissing what he is good at and what he continues to work on. Especially if there's any belief that he is being held to a different standard.
Briere has stressed multiple times how important Michkov is to this team. He, Keith Jones, and Dan Hilferty flew to Edmonton to meet the team and address the situation in person. They know they cannot give up on Michkov this soon or allow him to feel like they've given up on him.
This is all on the front office now. They need to make sure Michkov knows they're fully behind him and that the organization recognizes the progress he has made and continues to make.
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