This is what makes Matvei Michkov a special player
Matvei Michkov fell to the Philadelphia Flyers at the 2023 NHL draft, as they had hoped after setting up special circumstances to interview the winger.
Before the draft, Michkov was rumored to be the subject of rumors. It was reported by a Russian scout in the Washington Capitals organization that Michkov was ungrateful and that Brent Flahr didn't know what to expect from him.
"He's going just as hard as he would in a game, if not harder. Sometimes other players may find that challenging, but it's part of what drives him."
A story on Matvei Michkov, the player and teammate, with insight from SKA St. Petersburg development coach.
A story on Matvei Michkov, the player and teammate, with insight from SKA St. Petersburg development coach.
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As it turned out, Michkov was a friendly and excited player ecstatic to be in Philadelphia.
Michkov has been reported to have a competitive streak that rivals that of all of his teammates on the SKA St. Petersburg train, according to Daniel Bochner, Michkov's SKA St. Petersburg coach.
Flahr called Michkov an «elite goal scorer and playmaker.»
«If you watch him on video, every time he touches the puck in the offensive zone, it's going to the net, there are things happening, he creates goal scoring,» the assistant GM said. «He has an innate ability, like Connor and these guys in this draft, to just make stuff out of nothing. Very few players in the world can do that.
«If you watch him on video, every time he touches the puck in the offensive zone, it's going to the net, there are things happening, he creates goal scoring,» the assistant GM said. «He has an innate ability, like Connor and these guys in this draft, to just make stuff out of nothing. Very few players in the world can do that.
«He blew everybody in the room away by how smiley he was, how he kept saying he wanted to be a Flyer,» Briere said following Day 1 of the draft. «That made us feel really good about the prospect of drafting him. A talent of his caliber, we didn't think he would be available at seven.»
It is also to be noted that the youngster is amiable and can accept criticism from coaches when necessary.
The Flyers and Flahr know that Michkov will be a work in progress as he will continue to develop in the KHL before he makes his way to the NHL.
He has kept up the pressure in both the MHL and KHL with a record of 9 goals and 11 assists in 29 games played for HK Sochi.
«In my experience with him, he has great athletic character and he's extremely friendly. He's somebody that actually doesn't like to be away from the rink too much, he likes to be at the rink, he likes to be practicing. He's extremely competitive when he's on the ice, but very friendly when he's off the ice. Just in my relationship with him, a player-coach relationship, he's very open to feedback, he's very open to constructive criticism. He uses that as fuel to drive his practice habits.»
Daniel Bochner, Michkov's trainer in SKA St. Peterburg, has worked with him for the past four years where Michkov has put up 22 goals and 38 points in the 22 games the winger has played in, and in 84 career MHL games, Michkov has recorded 68 goals and 107 points.
Then following that up with 11 goals and 25 points in 43 games in the KHL.
Despite being taken 7th, Michkov was rated by NHL Central Scouting and by The Athletic's Scott Wheeler as the second best European skater in the draft.
Hopefully, Michkov will be able to fulfill his three-year contract in the KHL and finally make it to the NHL in time for the rebuild and the team to start becoming competitive once again.
| POLL | ||
20 JUILLET | 71 ANSWERS This is what makes Matvei Michkov a special player Will Matvei Michkov be the generational talent he is projected to be? | ||
| Yes | 59 | 83.1 % |
| No | 12 | 16.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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