Matvei Michkov is not only making a strong case to crack the Philadelphia Flyers’ lineup this season, but because he’s been so dynamic, he’s getting way-too-early Calder Trophy nods from fans who have seen the young Russian wow in training camp and pre-season for the Philadelphia Flyers. Head coach John Tortorella is excited about Michkov’s future, but he knows there’s some work to do.
The highly-touted prospect has been turning heads in the preseason, racking up six points in just three games, including a thrilling overtime winner that left fans buzzing on Saturday. Michkov’s performance has put the NHL on notice, showcasing the skill and confidence that made him one of the top prospects in the 2023 draft. A consensus comment on Saturday was that it’s incredible he fell all the way to No. 7 in the NHL Entry Draft.
While Flyers management remains cautious about his development and stresses the need to guide him through various in-game situations, Michkov is proving he might be ready to contribute sooner than expected.
Tortorella Will Let Matvei Michkov Loose on the NHL
Flyers’ head coach John Tortorella talked about his early impressions of Michkov after a recent game. Saying there is a fine line between stifling a player of Michov’s elite skill level, it will be his job to usher the forward along, learning the things that will make him more than an offensive dynamo.
Tortorell said, “We are starving for the types of plays that he can make, the instinctive plays that he can make. I do not want to overload him.”
He added:
“We’re certainly going to teach him along the way, especially situational play. I think that’s the key thing when you’re dealing with offensive players. There are certain times in the game when you’ve got to be simple, you may have to fight another day to make that play… That’s something I know we’re going to have to teach him, but, I want to let him go.”
How good Michkov will be this season remains unclear. Early indications is that he could score a ton of points and be in the conversation for rookie of the year.
