Matvei Michkov is one of the most inevitable players in the NHL right now. The Philadelphia Flyers rookie has 21 points at 5-on-5 play since Feb. 1, more than anyone in the league. Robert Thomas is in second with 20, while Nikita Kucherov, Sidney Crosby, Artemi Panarin, and Quinton Byfield are tied for third with 18. Michkov has put up back-to-back 2-goal games since John Tortorella was relieved of his duties as head coach.
But let’s go back even further. Since the beginning of December, here are the top three leaders in 5-on-5 points per 60 minutes played (with a minimum of 250 minutes of ice time): Jason Robertson (3.38), Michkov (2.99), and Thomas (2.96). This time last year, Michkov was a teenager who maybe knew a phrase or two in English. Today, he finds himself among the elite.
Already, Michkov is proving that he possesses one of the brightest minds in the sport. There’s reason to believe that this is only a preview of 2025-26 and beyond.
Michkov’s Hockey IQ Analyzed: Breakaway Goal vs. Canadiens
Michkov’s advanced processing abilities are on display nearly every shift. But let’s focus on his second tally against the Montreal Canadiens on March 27:
There are a few things that go into this one. Upon retrieving the puck in the neutral zone, Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson was facing backward. So, he banked the puck off the boards to himself while simultaneously turning his body in the right direction to transition up the ice and leave Michkov in the dust—a fairly routine move.
But that’s not what happened. Instead, Michkov stole the puck.
How? Michkov played outside position on Matheson, giving the veteran blueliner the illusion that he could safely abandon the puck for a split second. But that’s when Michkov pounced on it—that’s all anticipation. Though semi-ambitious on Matheson’s part as the last man back, Michkov created a two-man breakaway basically out of nothing.
Then comes the actual breakaway. Moments before taking his game-sealing shot, he had the deception to keep netminder Jakub Dobeš guessing. From the spot he was in, either a pass to the open Sean Couturier or a shot was equally likely. In doing so, he exposed Dobeš in RVH, and the rest was history.
Michkov’s Hockey IQ Analyzed: 2-on-1 Goal vs. Sabres
Next, a goal off the rush against the Buffalo Sabres on March 29. Here’s the clip:
Michkov enters this sequence a bit away from the play, but it’s 4-on-4 below the hashmarks—the Flyers didn’t need the extra help. It’s cut off from the start of the highlight shown above, but Egor Zamula deflected a Sabres pass away from its intended target. The instant Zamula swatted at the loose puck (with a Buffalo skater in front of him, mind you), Michkov went from facing the play to shifting his body up the ice. He’s always thinking aggressively.
Fortunately for Michkov, the puck went the Flyers’ way—up to Travis Konecny. By this point, the two star wingers were ahead of everyone else aside from Sabres defenseman Jacob Bryson.
Once Michkov was in the zone with the puck, that’s where more of the magic happened. He used Konecny as a decoy, making the 28-year-old an option for a one-timer. Since Konecny became such a scoring threat, it forced Bryson to respect both players, stranding him in no man’s land. Michkov’s deception gave him a wide-open shot that he was glad to take—it beat Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen cleanly.
How Good Can Michkov Be Next Season?
For better or worse, Michkov wasn’t given the keys to the Flyers’ offense under his old coach. His usage was often pretty limited, and he had to understand that, though his entire game is based on calculated risks, if one failed, he could get benched.
With Brad Shaw as the interim? That’s no longer the case. Michkov is getting big minutes and excelling in them. The Flyers as a team are, too. Though the Canadiens and Sabres aren’t necessarily imposing foes, that’s back-to-back regulation victories right after a stretch when the Flyers failed to win just one in their previous 14 contests.
It’s unclear who Michkov’s coach will be in 2025-26 (it very well could be Shaw). But if the person behind the bench allows Michkov to be the focal point of the offense, he could have a serious breakout. He’s been one of the best 5-on-5 scorers over the past four months, but a lowly power play and usually limited ice time over that span have damaged his point-scoring upside.
If those two factors improve, he could be in line for the first 80-plus point season since Claude Giroux in 2018-19. If you want to get spicy, the first 90-point campaign since Giroux put up 102 in 2017-18. While ambitious, that’s the kind of trajectory Michkov is on—he’s on pace for 86 points at 5-on-5 alone since Feb. 6, if applied over 82 games.
Five-a-side hockey is like chess. That’s displayed by the fact that, aside from players with generational athleticism like Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, the smartest players rule—grandmasters, if you will. Just take a few of the top 5-on-5 scorers I mentioned: Crosby, Kucherov, Panarin, and Robertson. These four are established geniuses in the game. Yet, Michkov is right there with them.
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