Matvei Michkov Is A Risk Worth Taking For the Flyers
It has been a long time since the Flyers had a true Super Star. Claude Giroux was a great player. But he was a Robin without a Batman. At his peak, he would have been the perfect star to pair with an elite goal scorer. But his best season saw him score 35 goals. What the Flyers have needed is the type of guy who can score 40 or 50 goals every season. Jeff Carter did it once for them. Simon Gagne did it a couple of times. But before that, you would have to go back to John LeClair and Eric Lindros to find guys who could do it every year. Enter Matvei Michkov.
Matvei Michkov's moment. #NHLDraft | @IBX pic.twitter.com/HrnWLqclW1
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) June 29, 2023
Last night they selected him with the 7th overall pick. He was billed as the 2nd best prospect in the draft behind Connor Bedard. But there is a reason he fell to 7. It could be 3 years before he even plays in the NHL. He currently is under contract for 3 more seasons in the KHL. Money can talk and that contract could be broken early. But there is a chance he doesn’t play in the NHL until 2026-2027. Not to mention the volatile situation over in Russia complicating things for every player still over in Russia. So it is a big risk taking him so highly.
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That risk is worth it though. Matvei Michkov is drawing comparisons to Alexander Ovechkin. You know, the guy who has been perhaps the most prolific goal scorer of the past two decades and is knocking on the door of Wayne Gretzky’s record. He has posted similar numbers to Ovechkin over in the KHL. In just 27 games he scored 9 goals, 20 points, and got off a staggering 97 shots. That is as an 18-year-old in a professional league playing with grown men. Michkov has Super Star potential. If he pans out, he is the type of prospect that can change a team.
Will he be just as good as Ovechkin? Probably not. But if he is half as good as Ovechkin he would be a better goal scorer than anyone the Flyers have had in recent memory.
And the Flyers are in a perfect position to take this risk. Let’s face it, they won’t be good this year, or next year. We should get used to them picking in the top 10, and maybe even top 5. This rebuild will take a while. So it makes sense that they would be willing to spend a high pick on a guy who may be 3 years away from playing for the team.
As fans, we have seen other supposedly safe picks blow up in our faces. Nolan Patrick was supposed to be a star. Never happened. Ivan Porvorov was supposed to be the next great Flyers defender. Never happened. So why not roll the dice a bit? So what if we don’t see him until 2026? We already may not see Cutter Gauthier in the NHL for at least one more year, maybe two.
If this kid reaches his potential, he could finally give the Flyers a prolific goal scorer we have all been waiting for. We waited over two decades for them to replace Lindros and LeClair. I think we can wait for 3 more if the payoff is someone as good as Alex Ovechkin.
8 Games Worth Anticipating On The Flyers Schedule Next Season
Oct. 12th - Season Opener at Columbus Blue Jackets
The season opener is obviously always worth looking forward to. It is the return of hockey. It may end up being not so great hockey. But it is still hockey. Though the opponent may drum up some not-so-great memories of our former GM. Columbus is where Johnny Gaudreau wound up after Chuck Fletcher couldn’t bring him to Philly. Plus, it will be the first time they see Provorov after trading him.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Oct. 17th - Home Opener vs Vancouver Canucks
Likewise, the Home Opener is another game always worth looking forward to. They will face the Canucks this year when they play their first game at the Wells Fargo Center. Even if the product isn’t great, the home opener is always a good time. it will be a packed house, and even if the game doesn’t go our way, it should still be a fun time just by virtue of being opening day. Losing may make it even better actually, since it is what we want them to do.
(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Oct 24th- Flyers on the Road vs the Golden Knights
Want to see what a good hockey team looks like? They will get that chance when they travel to Vegas to play the reigning champions. A team that in just several years of existence have done what the Flyers haven’t been able to do in 50. Hell, they have played in two Stanley Cups in that time. As far as road trips worth taking to see the Flyers, this is probably top of the list. You likely wont get to the see a win, but you will see one really good team at least. And going to Vegas is never a bad time either.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
November 19th- Provorov's First Game Back in Philly
As mentioned, they will play Ivan Provorov for the first time to open the season. But the first time he returns to the Flyers will be November 19th. Ivan was supposed to be the next great defender for the Flyers. Instead he kind of fizzled out here. Was it that he was just not that good? Or did the Flyers fail to make use of his talents. Either way, it should make for a decent storyline when he returns to Philly.
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Dec 7th- On the Road vs Coyotes
The goal of the season is to get the best draft pick possible. One of their greatest competitors for the best odds in the lottery will be the Coyotes. A franchise so in the dumps they don’t even have a real building to play in. This may be a game you want to tune into, just to see how it impacts the Flyers chances in the lottery.
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
January 23rd- Lightning Come to Town
Keith Jones told us that the Lightning are one of the teams you should try to emulate when building a team. They didn’t make much noise this year, going out early in the playoffs. But before that they were in the last 3 Stanley Cups, and won two of them. Not a bad team to try in follow the footsteps of. So it may be worth paying attention to them when they come to town. Becaus what the Lighniting have turned into as a franchise is how Keith Jones is modelling this team’s rebuild.
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Feb 17th- Stadium Series Game at Met Life vs the Devils
Despite the meager expectations for the Flyers this season, they are in one of the Stadium Series games this year. They will take on the Devils at Met Life Stadium in February. Weather can sometimes ruin these games. But it is a cool sight to see when mother nature cooperates. If you haven’t been before, Met Life Stadium is not that difficult to get to via train. Even if the game doesn’t go the Flyers way, it could still be a fun night at Met Life.
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
March 30th- Connor Bedard Comes to Philly
The Flyers did not win the Connor Bedard sweepstakes. They weren’t bad enough this past year, and he is going to the Blackhawks instead. But we will at least get a chance to watch him play in person. The Blackhawks, along with Connor Bedard, are playing in Philly at the end of March. When your team is as bad as the Flyers will be this season, you plan what games you go to more around who the other team is. And with how special Connor Bedard could be, that is the type of game worth going to.
(Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
