Which top prospect Matvei Michkov brings to the Philadelphia Flyers

One of the most intriguing prospects in recent history is heading to the NHL.

After months of speculation, Matvei Michkov has closed on signing his three-year NHL entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, ending his KHL deal that was set to run until 2026. SKA St. Petersburg reserves its right if Michkov wants it. back on loan, 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 players in hockey and finished seventh overall in 2023. But his long-term contract, combined with the ‘Russian factor’, kept teams away, with the Flyers banking on him being a future superstar regardless. no real indication if he would come around. There were even stories going around that the Flyers were having trouble keeping in touch with him.

However, with a signed contract, Michkov can play a major role at the club this fall.

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

Michkov was loaned back to Sochi after just one match with SKA and raised the bar. He had 19 goals and 41 points in 47 games, which would have ranked him fifth in scoring on SKA. His 0.87 points per game pace would have beaten everyone on SKA as well. He certainly played more than he would have in St. Petersburg, but it still shows how good 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 the No. 1 pick in many drafts, but last year’s question marks – plus a certain Connor Bedard – meant that didn’t happen. From a skills perspective, many linked Demidov’s talent to that of Nikita Kucherov. His ability to make decisions at breakneck speed and execute them with little to no effort is unparalleled. Michkov’s hands are virtually untouched in terms of raw talent – ​​there is no shortage of lacrosse goal highlights.

“The way he creates plays, executes and dazzles… there are very few like him,” said one scout ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft. “The puck just comes to him and he knows what to do with it . He is a magician disguised as a hockey player.”

You get puck handlers who move the puck well but can’t score, but that’s not a problem for Michkov here. Some scouts think he will score 50 goals in the NHL, and I have no doubts. The puck seems magnetized to him at all times, and he is so great in open space on the power play. Michkov showed that at the 2021 U-18 World Championship, where he took on Connor Bedard – and defeated the Canadian phenom.

The NHL is a completely different animal, so he will have to overcome its own challenges. The language barrier, for example. Defensive play is also an issue, something that has led to him being scratched at points in his KHL career. For as close to elite as his puck touches can be, Michkov can get caught looking too much into his own zone, and that can be costly. He’s not going to burn you with pure speed in open ice, which limits his potential on the rush, but it feels like it’s been an improvement from him.

It’s unusual for a player of Michkov’s skill level to be only an average skater at best. I think he’s gotten better at matching his hands, which is crucial. But he can also get caught if he does too much with the puck and doesn’t have the speed to make up for his turnovers. It may leave him frustrated, but I really think he has taken steps forward to round out his game significantly now, compared to a year ago when in-person viewings by scouts were still extremely limited.

His play in the middle has also improved. Michkov was called up as a winger, but played centrally at points this year. However, he ended up as a winger and I expect that’s where he will land. But if he could nail down his defensive play and give his best on every shift, the concerns would go away a bit.

Michkov’s potential to be a truly game-changing forward for the Flyers is undeniable. Even if you focus on the shortcomings, the upside here is huge based on the numbers we’ve seen him put up. He has a lot of professional 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. If your own team can’t easily contact you, that’s unusual. But players of Michkov’s skill rarely come along like this, and fans of every team might as well appreciate it for what it is.

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