Matvei Michkov to terminate KHL contract, join Flyers this season - NhungD

Prized Russian prospect Matvei Michkov may be joining the Philadelphia Flyers sooner than anyone expected.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

According to a report by Arthur Khairullin of Russian media outlet Sport Express (translated to English), Michkov is expected to terminate the remainder of his contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL and will “continue his career in Philadelphia.”

Michkov signed a five-year contract with the KHL in 2021, which restricted him from coming to the NHL until its expiration in 2026.

At the time of this writing, the Flyers are still working out the validity of the Sport Express report, per Kevin Kurz of The Athletic.

Because of his lengthy KHL contract, along with the ongoing geopolitical conflicts taking place in Russia, Michkov landed in the Flyers’ lap during the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Flyers general manager Daniel Briere sprinted to the podium and announced the selection of Michkov with the No. 7 overall pick, sending the Flyers fan base into a state of euphoria.

Under ordinary circumstances, Michkov likely would have been selected second overall behind prodigy Connor Bedard.

Michkov, 19, is one of the most prolific U-20 players to ever come out of Russia. He broke Alex Ovechkin’s record as the youngest player to suit up for Russia’s national team at just 16 years old, and with 19 goals and 22 assists in 47 games while on loan to HK Sochi this season, he fell just two points shy of breaking the KHL’s single-season scoring record by a player under 20 years old, currently held by Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild.

Assuming the KHL does ultimately terminate his contract, Michkov will still need to sign an entry-level contract in the NHL before officially joining the Flyers.

“For us, we just felt after watching him and after meeting him, we just felt it’s a talent that we cannot pass up,” Briere told ESPN after selecting Michkov at last year’s draft.

“If we have to wait, we’ll wait.”

It appears the wait may soon be over.