Budding Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov hates the dump and chase, and new head coach Rick Tocchet loves the talented forward's confidence and approach to making plays.
Michkov, 20, recently went viral on social media for explaining in a YouTube video his disdain for the dump-and-chase style of play, instead preferring to possess the puck and enter the offensive zone with control and a chance to create offense.
Eventually, Michkov said, he went along with it, but he still sees it as a waste of energy.
But that was life under John Tortorella and, perhaps briefly, interim head coach Brad Shaw.
What Michkov doesn't know is that his new head coach, Rick Tocchet, along with Flyers GM Danny Briere and Flyers president Keith Jones, all watched the clip together and loved it.
Making an appearance on the "Nasty Knuckles" podcast with ex-Flyers forward Riley Cote and former Flyers equipment manager Derek Settlemyre, Tocchet clarified his views on the varying playstyles and his appreciation for Michkov's talents.
"Well, I watched the video. Me and Jonesy and Danny were laughing, and I'm like, first of all, he was going two miles an hour, and there was nobody in front of him, and he said don't dump the puck," Tocchet said half-jokingly.
"Well yeah, obviously there's nobody in front of you, you should have took it! I'm busting his balls, and I'm gonna bust his balls when I see him. Yeah, I know what he's saying. He wants to hold onto pucks, and he's got that talent. We got to allow him to have that creativity. Listen, we want to get this guy the puck as much as possible because he can make high-level plays."
This isn't the first time Tocchet has publicly propped up Michkov and his skills this offseason, and it isn't the first time he's said he wants to get Michkov the puck as often as possible.
For Flyers fans hoping to see the Russian sensation take flight in the next few years, Tocchet's words can only be interpreted as an encouraging breath of fresh air.
Putting things into practice is a different story, of course, but having a solid plan is usually the first step towards finding success.
"I want players to hold onto pucks and make plays, 100%. We want to play that way," added Tocchet.
Those who still fear Michkov being forced into an archaic style of hockey might want to put those fears on the back burner, at least for now
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