What top prospect Matvei Michkov brings the Philadelphia Flyers

Credit: KHL

One of the most intriguing prospects in recent memory is headed to the NHL.

After months of speculation, Matvei Michkov is closed to signing his three-year NHL entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, ending his KHL deal that was supposed to run until 2026. SKA St. Petersburg will retain his right if Michkov was to be loaned back, but after a year of bad news for Flyers fans, it looks like things are starting to look up.

Michkov is one of the best prospects in hockey, getting taken seventh overall in 2023. But his long-term contract, in conjunction with the “Russian factor,” led teams to stay away, with the Flyers banking on him becoming a future superstar despite no true indication as to whether he’d come over. There were even stories about how the Flyers had a difficult time staying in contact with him.

However, with a signed contract, Michkov can start playing a big role with the club this fall.

Last year, Michkov was loaned out to HK Sochi to play in the team’s final 27 games. He recorded 20 points – 10 fewer than team leader Artur Tyanulin in 28 fewer games. For context, no draft-eligible player has ever put up more than Michkov’s 0.67 points-per-game average in either the KHL or the RSL that preceded it.

Michkov was loaned back out to Sochi after just one game with SKA and upped the ante. He had 19 goals and 41 points in 47 games, which would have put him fifth in scoring on SKA. His 0.87 point-per-game rate would have beaten everyone on SKA, too. He played more than he would have in St. Petersburg, for sure, but it still shows just how good of a Draft+1 year he had at a young age in a league that isn’t kind to U-20 kids.

Simply put, Michkov would be a No. 1 in many drafts, but the question marks last year – plus some guy named Connor Bedard – meant that wasn’t happening. From a skillset perspective, many linked Demidov’s talent to that of Nikita Kucherov. His ability to make decisions at a breakneck pace and execute them with little to no difficulty is second to none. Michkov’s hands are nearly untouched in terms of raw talent – there’s no shortage of lacrosse goal highlights.

“The way he creates plays, executes them and dazzles… there’s very few like him,” a scout said prior to the 2023 NHL Draft. “The puck just comes to him and he knows what to do with it. He’s a magician masquerading as a hockey player.”

You’ll get puck handlers that move the puck well but can’t score, but that’s not a problem here for Michkov. Some scouts think he’ll be a 50-goal scorer in the NHL, and I don’t doubt it. The puck seems magnetized to him to him at all times, and he’s so great in open space on the power play. Michkov showed that at the 2021 U-18 World Championship, where he went toe-to-toe with Connor Bedard – and outplayed the Canadian phenom.

The NHL is a whole other animal, so he’ll have his own set of challenges to overcome. The language barrier, for one. The defensive play is also an issue, something that has led to him being made a scratch at points in his KHL career. For as close to elite as his puck touches can be, Michkov can get caught watching too much in his own zone and it can be costly. He’s not going to burn you in open ice with pure speed, which does limit his potential on the rush, but it feels like it’s been an improvement of his.

It’s unusual for a player of Michkov’s skill level to be just an average skater at best. I think he has gotten better to match his hands, which is crucial. But he can also be caught trying to do too much with the puck and doesn’t have the speed to make up for his lost possession. It can cause him to get frustrated, but I genuinely think that he has taken steps forward to round his game out significantly now compared to a year ago when in-person viewings from scouts were still extremely limited.

His play down the middle has also improved. Michkov was drafted as a winger but found himself playing center at points this year. He finished as a winger, though, and that’s where I expect him to land. But if he could nail down his defensive play and put in the effort every shift, the concerns would start to disappear a bit.

Michkov’s potential to be a truly game-changing forward for the Flyers is undeniable. Even if you focus on the flaws, the upside is massive here based on the numbers we’ve seen him put up. He’s got plenty of pro experience, and his skill-first game is perfectly suited for NHL success.

It’s rare these days for top prospects to be such a mystery. When your own team can’t get in contact with you easily, it’s unusual. But players with Michkov’s skill rarely come along like this, and fans of every team better appreciate it for what it is.

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What top prospect Matvei Michkov brings the Philadelphia Flyers

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