Flyers Prospect Matvei Michkov: His Legend is Growing at Rapid Pace

Matvei Michkov’s legend is growing.

And he’s only 18.

The Philadelphia Flyers’ top prospect is going to be an NHL superstar some day — at least that’s what his numbers scream.

On Sunday, the center/winger went top-five all-time in KHL points before the age of 20, according to Alexander Appleyard, a contributor to The Athletic.

Here’s the list:

1. Nikita Kucherov: 81 points in 128 games (0.63 points per game).
2. Karill “The Thrill” Kaprizov: 77 points in 133 games (0.58).
3. Vladimir Tarasenko: 53 points in 122 games (0.43).
4. Pavel Buchnevich 50 points in 100 games (0.50).
5. Michkov: 37 points in 54 games (0.69)

Should Michkov keep this pace, he will blossom into a star if he comes to the Flyers when his three-year contract ends. (Or maybe the Flyers can work out a deal and get him to North America sooner?)

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Michkov, who broke Alex Ovechkin’s record as the youngest player to ever suit up for Russia’s national team, is the highest scorer per game of the four KHL players who had more points than him when under 20. All four of those players ahead of him in points have had several seasons of averaging more than a point per game in the NHL.

Kucherov, 30, a future Hall of Famer, has 729 career points (276 goals, 453 assists) in 644 games with Tampa Bay. He has scored 29 or more goals in all seven of his full seasons, and had 113 points last year.

Kaprizov, 26, has put up terrific numbers in each of his three seasons with the Minnesota Wild, and has a combined 87 goals over his last two seasons. He has 234 points (114-120) in 203 career NHL games.

Tarasenko, 31, is in his first season with the Ottawa Senators. With St. Louis, he had six seasons with at least 33 goals, and he has 574 points (270-304) in 675 games.

Buchnevich, 28, has starred with the Rangers and St. Louis Blues, and he has accumulated 338 points (135-203) in 437 games. His best year was in 2021-22, when he had 76 points (30-46) in 73 games during his first season in St. Louis.

Will Michkov one day join the impressive list and star in the NHL?

The Philadelphia Flyers can only hope.

Breakaways

Michkov, drafted No. 7 overall by the Flyers in June, has 14 goals in his last 38 KHL games. In his first 10 games this season for Sochi, he had 12 points (5-7) and a plus-5 rating. … After having two days of bonding activities, the Flyers will resume practice Tuesday in Voorhees at 11 a.m. It is free and open to the public. … The Flyers open the season Thursday in Columbus against Ivan Provorov and the Blue Jackets.

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