Carchidi: Michkov is NOT Flyers’ Savior, but Part of Their Solution

Matvei Michkov may one day be an All-Star for the Philadelphia Flyers, but don’t expect him to single handedly turn around a franchise that has missed the playoffs the last four seasons.

“We don’t see him as a savior,” general manager Danny Briere said as Michkov, a Russian with unlimited potential, was introduced to the media Wednesday during a packed news conference in Voorhees. “That’s certainly not what we’re putting on his shoulder. He’s 19 years old. He’s coming in to learn, to expand his game.

“Obviously we hope the sky is the limit for him,” Briere added, “but we’re certainly not expecting him to be the savior of this team. We’re building a team that’s going to have many pieces to work together, and we’re hoping he becomes one of them.”

Michkov says he is looking forward to meeting Torts. Briere says Torts will help him with his defense. pic.twitter.com/53llHU7wGm

— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) July 24, 2024

Fans Excited

In other words, the Philadelphia Flyers need to surround Michkov with more talent, more snipers. It will take time, but there’s no denying that Michkov — who fell to the Flyers at No. 7 in the 2023 draft — is a major part of the solution.

Michkov, who spent some time on the ice Wednesday, said his main idea is “always to win.” Through interpreter Slava Kuznetsov, a Flyers consultant, Michkov said he just wants to “play my style” and he’s “here to win.”

He has seen the fans’ comments about him coming to Philly early and has been overwhelmed by their reaction.

“It’s unreal how the fans are reacting,” Michkov said, and how “welcome” they have made him feel.

A dynamic right winger, Michkov is probably the Flyers’ most hyped prospect since Eric Lindros was a 19-year-old rookie in 1992. He was released from his SKA St. Petersburg contract in Russia’s KHL — the pact had two more years on it  — and it enabled him to sign a three-year entry-level deal in Philadelphia.

Gamble That Worked

“We started hearing rumblings after the season that there was a possibility of it happening,” Briere said. We talked to his representative, his agent, to help us understand what was going on. They did most of the work and it was definitely exciting when we realized there was a strong possibility that it could happen.”

Briere reiterated that Michkov probably would have been drafted as high as No. 2 in 2023, behind Connor Bedard, if teams knew he would come to North America in one year.

“We felt we were in a position to wait three years for him to come,” Briere said. “To have this opportunity is amazing; to get him early, at 19 years old, to learn under a coach like Torts (coach John Tortorella) and the coaching staff we have, I think it’s a great opportunity for him and us to have him early. … It’s a great break for us and the organization.”

Improving his D

Briere believes Tortorella will help improve Michkov’s defensive game.

“We all know he’s gifted, offensively. Very, very talented,” Briere said. “But he’s going to have the chance to learn under Torts to play the other side of the ice as well. He’s going to get that base early on, and I think it’s just going to make him better for the rest of his career.”

Michkov appeared to get emotional when he talked about his father, Andrey, who died unexpectedly at 51 last year.  His father’s dream was for his son to reach the NHL.

The shifty winger said being in the league “doesn’t feel real. It feels like a dream” and that he thinks his father “would be real proud.”

Overcoming language barrier

As far as the language barrier, Michkov understands English better than he can speak it. The Flyers are setting him up with a tutor. Having fellow Russians Egor Zamula and Ivan Fedotov on the team should also help Michkov adapt. So will the plan to bring Michkov’s mother and younger brother to the area.

“It’s never easy what he’s going through,” said Briere, a French Canadian. “I was telling him yesterday that when I was 19, I came to the U.S. and I didn’t speak English. Also, in hockey, terms helped me navigate and learn the language because you can understand the terms. You learn to make sentences, and eventually, you get the jokes. I had a hard time with that as well. And the culture is totally different coming from Canada to the U.S. versus coming from Russia.”

Briere said the Flyers have an accommodating locker room and the players will “go out of their way” to make Michkov feel comfortable.

The general manager made sure he showed Michkov video of Philadelphia Flyers enforcer Nic Deslauriers in a fight last season against the New York Rangers.

“We told him,” Briere said, grinning, “it’s his new best friend.”

Sam Carchidi writes a weekly column for Philly Hockey Now. He and Jeff Hare are working on a TV series on the Flyers’ glory days, tentatively called “Bullies.” Carchidi can be reached at samcarchidi55@gmail.com.

With Michkov, How Should Flyers Line Up in 2024-25?