The Flyers will not have to wait until the summer of 2026 to bring highly touted Russian winger Matvei Michkov to North America. Michkov, selected by the Flyers with the seventh overall pick of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, has signed a three-year entry-level contract with Philadelphia and is slated to make his NHL debut with the Flyers in 2024-25.
The two-way contract will carry a $950,000 cap hit before potential performance bonuses are figured into his earnings. The deal will run through the 2026-27 season. Upon its conclusion, he can become a restricted free agent (arbitration ineligible) on July 1, 2027.
"I’m extremely happy to officially become a part of the Flyers family," Michkov said in a statement.
"Being in the NHL has been a dream for me since childhood. I would like to say a huge thank you to the Flyers management for their trust. I will do everything possible to meet their expectations. I can't wait to join my teammates and start preparing for the new season together, and I would especially like to greet our fans. We have the same dream to win the Stanley Cup and I promise that will do my best to help this team and make that possible."
Michkov has been a hockey prodigy that has been well-known across the hockey world long before his Draft-eligible 2022-23 season.
"Matvei’s been a world class player since he came on the scene a number of years ago. He wants to be the best. We are excited for him to be a Flyer." added assistant general manager Brent Flahr.
Last season, Michkov spent all but one game on loan from KHL team SKA St. Petersburg to another KHL team, HC Sochi. He also spent much of the prior campaign with Sochi.
During the 2023-24 season, Michkov flirted with tying or breaking the KHL record for points by a teenaged rookie. He fell one point short, posting 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) and 45 penalty minutes in 47 games. Michkov missed several weeks while battling pneumonia but he eventually returned to play and recovered his form.
Recently, Michkov obtained permission from SKA to obtain a release from the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons of his KHL contract in order to join the Flyers. SKA will retain the player's KHL rights.
"We're excited to have Matvei under contract and we look forward to him joining our team at training camp in September," said Flyers general manager Danny Briere.
"We've kept a close eye on his development since the draft and to be able to add a player like Matvei, who brings a high-level of talent, skill and game-breaking abilities, he will be a key piece to our future."
Michkov, who turned 19 on December 4, 2023, has the potential to be a high-impact offensive player in the NHL. He has silky hands, outstanding ice vision and creativity, plus a fearlessness to his game. He's very good on his edges and has room to add explosiveness as he gains muscle.
The player will have his share of adjustments to make in adapting his game to be successful in the NHL. NHL-sized rinks are now common around most of the KHL, but the style of play is still different. The NHL also has the world's highest caliber of competition.
Michkov still has work to do in his play without the puck. Flyers head coach John Tortorella will also expect Michkov to earn the trust to have freedom to take on higher degrees of risk to create plays offensively. As he does with Travis Konecny, Tortorella may need to look away at times when Michkov is on the ice.
There will likely be occasional bumps in the road as Michkov acclimates himself to the NHL, and he may not put up dominant production numbers right off the bat. However, the player's long-term future appears very bright. Michkov is not afraid to put the work in, and he is a highly competitive young player.
Last season, Michkov spent all but one game on loan from KHL team SKA St. Petersburg to another KHL team, HC Sochi. He also spent much of the prior campaign with Sochi.
During the 2023-24 season, Michkov flirted with tying or breaking the KHL record for points by a teenaged rookie. He fell one point short, posting 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) and 45 penalty minutes in 47 games. Michkov missed several weeks while battling pneumonia but he eventually returned to play and recovered his form.
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