Be Excited About Matvei Michkov, But Also Be Reasonable

The Matvei Michkov era has officially begun. We knew he was coming over, but now the Flyers have announced an actual 3-year entry-level contract with him, He will be on the Flyers roster for game 1. There is good reason to be excited about that. Michkov is the most hyped prospect the Flyers have had since Eric Lindros.

With that said, we should be reasonable. Michkov has the potential to be a 50-goal scorer. Something the Flyers haven't had since John LeClair. Expecting that right away though, would be a bit much to ask of a 19-year-old rookie.

With the hype, comes expectations. There is eventually going to be a lot of pressure on Michkov to be great, but let's keep those expectations reasonable for year 1. Connor Bedard had similar hype coming into his rookie season last year. He did not instantly become a superstar.

Have we seen players become stars instantly? Yes. Alex Ovechkin, a guy Michkov draws comparisons to, scored 52 goals and had 54 assists right out of the gate. But Connor McDavid didn't have his 1st 40-goal season until year 3.

The team around Matvei Michkov is not going to be great. It appears the Flyers are not going to do much to help the team right now this offseason. An adjustment period would not be all too unexpected.

It sounds obvious to say, but with how hyped up Michkov is, and how excited Flyers fans are, it also feels necessary. Dont expect him to be a superstar right out the gate. He might be. He has that type of talent. but if he is just a good player next season, don't start panicking.

Based on everything we have seen and heard, Michkov is going to be a special player. He could be someone who scores 100 points every season. If Danny Briere does his job and puts the pieces around him, Michkov could be the guy who gets the Flyers back to the promised land.

Just understand he is a 19-year-old kid playing in a league full of grown men. It might not happen right away. That is okay. He hopefully has a long career ahead of him. The fact that this Flyers team is not ready to compete yet, might be a good thing. It will put less pressure on him right away, giving him time to adjust to the league before he is expected to carry them to anything.

Let's keep our excitement very high, but our expectations at a reasonable level for year 1 of the Matvei Michkov era.

The Philadelphia Flyers entered the 2024 NHL Draft with a possible 10 picks. They had a chance to pick three times in the first 36 picks.

However, Danny Briere was as active as any NHL GM at the Las Vegas Sphere. He traded back from 12th to 13th in the first round to draft Jett Luchanko, a center from the Guelph Storm in the Ontario Hockey League.

The Flyers dealt the first-round pick acquired from the Florida Panthers in the Claude Giroux deal in 2022. The Columbus Blue Jackets also exercised their option to defer the conditional second-round pick from the Ivan Provorov deal to the 2025 NHL Draft.

Related Content: The Mad Russian: What Matvei Michkov Reports Mean For The Flyers

The Flyers ultimately picked only seven times in Vegas. Once the Columbus pick came off the table, Briere used the draft capital he's acquired to swindle and land his coveted targets.

The Flyers sent the 32nd-overall pick to the Edmonton Oilers for a conditional, top-12 protected first-rounder in 2025. They now own three first-round picks in 2025, which they project to be a loaded draft.

The 2024 class didn’t have clear consensus after the expected top pick Macklin Celebrini. The NHL Draft also doesn't include many players who debut in the league the following season, so don't expect these prospects in orange and black just yet.

However, most of them will debut at Flyers Development Camp in Vorhees next week.

Center, Guelph Storm (OHL)

Danny Briere thought outside the box. Jett Luchanko wasn’t the choice of the mock drafts. He wasn’t even on the radar of most NHL scouts before the 2023-24 season.

However, the Flyers determined that Luchanko’s excellent speed makes him a prospect with a high ceiling.

The Flyers traded back one spot and passed on prospects ranked higher than Luchanko in the public sphere. However, they showed the willingness to push against the majority opinion.

Center, Farjestad BK (Sweden)

Elite Prospects called Jack Berglund a physical forward with a strong two-way game and capabilities as a playmaker.  

He spent most of the 2023-24 season playing in the lower professional levels in Sweden before earning an eight-game promotion to the SHL, among the best leagues in the world.

The Flyers have had success over their history with Swedish players like Pelle Lindbergh, Mikael Renberg, and Peter Forsberg.

Defenseman, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)

The Flyers traded back from the 12th-overall spot to the 13th in the first round. They passed up the opportunity to select defenseman Zeev Buium, a prospect generally ranked higher than Jett Luchanko.

Danny Briere acknowledged that Buium’s size on the blue line played a factor. The Flyers went the opposite direction in the second round.

Spencer Gill stands at 6-foot-4. He brings more of a physical game than some of the current Flyers defensemen but less offensive upside. He scored 12 goals and added 34 assists in juniors in Quebec last season.

Center, Kiekko-Espoo (Finland)

The Flyers continued their heavy emphasis on the center position. They entered the draft without much prospect depth at an impact position and used three of their first four picks on centers.

Elite Prospects called Heikki Ruohonen a playmaker and a powerful skater with a strong two-way game. The 18-year-old Finn will continue his development at Harvard University when he comes to North America.

Winger, Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)

The Flyers drafted an overager coming off a breakout season in the fifth round.

Noah Powell racked up 74 points in 61 USHL games last season. He’ll continue his development at Ohio State University, the alma mater of Lehigh Valley Phantoms favorite Tanner Laczynski.

The Illinois native went undrafted in 2023. He turned 19 in February.

Right Wing, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (Russia)

The risk to draft Matvei Michkov despite international political turmoil didn’t turn into a long-term burden for the Flyers. Briere additionally mentioned their willingness to draft Russian prospects in 2024.

Ilya Pautov scored 15 goals and added 30 assists in the MHL in Russia last season. Elite Prospects described him as a playmaker with good hockey sense.

Defenseman, St. Mary's Shattuck Prep (US High School)

The Flyers drafted a Las Vegas product at the Sphere in the final round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

Austin Moline brings more size to the blue line standing at 6-foot-4. The right-handed defenseman will play in British Columbia next season before starting his NCAA career at Northern Michigan University.