On New KHL Team, Matvei Michkov Shows His Stuff 

Matvei Michkov, sprung from one KHL team, had a strong start with his new team Wednesday.

Michkov, the Philadelphia Flyers’ top prospect, had two assists in 18 minutes, 4 seconds of ice-time in HC Sochi’s 5-4 overtime win over Severstal. Only three Sochi forwards had more ice-time than Michkov.

Michkov also had two shots on goal and had a great chance to win the game in overtime. He played 20 shifts, had one blocked shot and one hit.

HC Sochi head coach Dmitri Kokorev who’s familiar with Michkov (via @hockeynewshub): “Matvei wants to score points in every game and help the team win – today was the same.”

He is on loan from SKA St. Petersburg, where he played only one of the team’s first four games and was on the ice for only 6:12.

#MM39📸 HC Sochi pic.twitter.com/oLSARgSwLw

— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) September 13, 2023

Michkov getting serious ice-time is good news in his development. He is 18 years old and eager to play. The SKA St. Petersburg coach said Michkov was the 13th forward and would have to earn ice-time. And for whatever the reason, Michkov just wasn’t playing.

Michkov was the seventh overall pick in the 2023 draft in Nashville. He was considered the second-most talented player in the draft behind Connor Bedard, who went to the Blackhawks with the No. 1 pick.

“Having him available at No. 7 was some good karma,” Flyers president Keith Jones told Philly Hockey Now recently.

“We were thinking [Michkov] the whole time [at the draft]. We went in expecting to get two players and we got the two players we expected to get in the first round. [The other was defenseman Oliver Bonk at No. 22].

“We thought there was obviously potential that both players would be taken earlier but those were the two guys that we wanted. I thought that was really amazing.”