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

A franchise stricken by cringy misfortune and vehemently criticized by its own fan base just caught its biggest break. Multiple sources reported that Matvei Michkov is no longer under contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL in Russia. https://twitter.com/ADiMarco25/status/1804899478362632591 The Philadelphia Flyers selected Michkov with the seventh-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. They expected to wait until 2026-27 before he came to the NHL. What does the Mad Russian’s early flight across the Atlantic Ocean mean for the rebuilding Flyers entering the 2024-25 season? Matvei Michkov Michkov scored 19 goals and added 22 assists in 47 KHL games during a loan with HK Sochi in 2023-24. He blossomed into a dynamic offensive weapon by age 19 in a professional league considered the second best in the world. “Seeing the talent level of this player, we don’t have anybody like him in the organization…We’ve talked for how many years now about how we’ve needed to bring more skill, more talent to our team. This was a great opportunity to hopefully develop a player that can play that role for us.” -Danny Briere at the 2023 NHL Draft https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XUnSA23OQc The 5-foot-10 right winger has built a reputation for his ability to use excellent vision of the ice to make quick decisions with the puck. He has shown creativity as a playmaker and spatial awareness that can help open up ice for teammates. Charlie O’Connor compared Michkov to Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 31-year-old Russian right winger won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s points leader for the second time in 2023-24. He was a crucial offensive centerpiece for Stanley Cup teams in 2019-20 and 2020-21, and he won the Hart Trophy as the league’s MVP for the 2018-19 season. What It Means for the 2024-25 Flyers Michkov will sign an entry-level contract to play in Philadelphia if he’s no longer a member of SKA St. Petersburg. He’d almost certainly join the Flyers for the 2024-25 season because he’d have no reason to pursue such great measures to leave Russia at 19 if he’d have to begin in the AHL. Excitement within the fan base, league-wide interest in the Flyers, and the perception of the timeline for the rebuild just changed drastically overnight. https://twitter.com/975TheFanatic/status/1798367825905803483 The Flyers have lacked top-end talent since they traded Claude Giroux in 2022. They struggled to match the NHL’s most dynamic offenses in 2023-24 without any overwhelming skill from their top-six forwards. Keith Jones called Michkov “a highly-talented player that is different than what we have right now” because he projects to fill the void that’s been hammered home so frequently inside and outside the organization. The front office tempered expectations for on-ice improvement in 2024-25 before the Michkov news sent Flyers fans into pandemonium. Michkov’s presence alone changes the outlook on the upcoming season. Related Content: Evaluating 6 Philadelphia Flyers Offseason Trade Candidates The Flyers drafted the Mad Russian as the hopeful long-term centerpiece of the rebuild with emerging key contributors like Owen Tippett, Cam York, and Tyson Foerster around him. Matvei Michkov will play in front of fans desperate for a source of hope. The Flyers slipped into mediocrity after the 2012 lockout and later plummeted into futility to extend their Stanley Cup drought upward toward half a century. The rebuild promised a brighter future and inspired some optimism for something fans couldn’t see right in front of them. The biggest source of hope will now play at the Wells Fargo Center in 2024-25. What It Doesn't Mean for the 2024-25 Flyers The Flyers expected Michkov’s NHL career to begin in 2026-27, three years after they drafted him. The thought that they’d be ready to build a contending roster by the time he left Russia seemed like it fit a logical timeline. The termination of his KHL contract doesn’t mean that time fast forwards to 2026-27. It means his development will take place in the NHL for additional seasons instead within an organization that hasn’t yet completed the steps to get where they want to be entering the 2026-27 season. Danny Briere openly discussed the salary cap challenges the Flyers face in constructing the roster. “The reality is, we have a lot of dead money going into year two of my tenure, but that was the plan also. We acquire assets to help us for the future, like picks and stuff. So, this summer is going to be tough. Next summer, (it) should ease up a little bit, but… looking further towards the future, I think it's going to hopefully get easier.” -Danny Briere The front office can’t spend big money in free agency to surround Michkov with the best complementary pieces. They could explore the trade market, which was part of the plan before the Michkov news dropped, but Briere will face tough circumstances in landing the top targets on the market. The Flyers also enter 2024-25 with major goaltending question marks. Sam Ersson and Ivan Fedotov, who experienced his own drastic circumstances leaving Russia, don’t bring much NHL experience to the crease. The organization would like one (or both) to emerge as a full-time NHL starter, but their development will take place simultaneously with Michkov's.  The assimilation into American culture also isn’t an easy one for a 19-year-old Russian. Egor Zamula consistently gave credit to Ivan Provorov as a friend and mentor when the two Russians played together on the Philadelphia blue line. Fedotov benefitted late last season from having Russian forward Denis Gurianov around to help with the language barrier and the transition to a new environment. Zamula doesn’t have a roster spot locked up. Fedotov just arrived in North America himself. The Flyers could look to acquire a Russian player for off-ice contributions involving Michkov as much as on-ice contributions. John Tortorella & Matvei Michkov No conversation about the Flyers ends without addressing the John Tortorella factor. Philadelphia’s future Hall of Fame head coach has a history of clashes with star players. He doesn’t hesitate to bench players he thinks aren’t performing regardless of their skill sets or draft status. https://vimeo.com/925175655?share=copy Tortorella maximized the talent on the roster in 2023-24 despite the late-season collapse. He’s shown an open mind for the changes of the modern NHL in enough instances to demonstrate his concentration on the team’s goals ahead of his own. Young players on the roster like York and Tippett have also benefited from his hard coaching style.  However, the volatility of his personality leaves the door open for conflict, whether healthy or unhealthy. “When the ‘Mad Russian’ comes over here and you start bringing in maybe some free agents when the time is right, some more offensive skill. I want that to fall into place when they come in. I want that to stay with this style.” -John Tortorella (11/30/23) Matvei Michkov might have excellent puck skills and dynamic scoring ability, but he doesn’t bring the best reputation as a defensive player to the NHL with him. The Flyers have assigned Tortorella to manage the culture they’ve so heavily emphasized during the rebuild. They trust his ability to identify the right players who can help them return to Stanley Cup contention. Is Matvei Michkov one of those players? Tune in for an interesting season in 2024-25. 97.5 The Fanatic will analyze draft prospects, free agent targets, and potential trade options for the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2024 offseason.