Earlier last month it was reported that there was a slight chance that Flyers' top prospect in Matvei Michkov could make his way to the NHL 2 years earlier than expected. He was still under contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL but both parties were working diligently for the best possible route.
Earlier today it was reported by Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period that Michkov was in the process of terminating his contract with the KHL club and would be joining the Flyers as soon as possible. General manager Daniel Briere has had an eventful first season with the rebuilding Flyers but this could very well be his biggest coup to date.
Entering his draft season, Michkov had a lot of rumours circulating around his name that he was difficult to deal with and that the likelihood of him playing in North America was in question. He slid to the 7th spot in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft due to the aforementioned question marks but it was understood that he was one of the most talented players in the draft.
Michkov scored 9 goals and 20 points in 27 games played for HK Sochi during his draft year and then added 19 goals and 41 points in 47 games this past season. He broke numerous records for a player under the age of 18 and 19 in the KHL and even outpaced some of the greatest Russian players of this generation like Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Nikita Kucherov.
The Flyers will be a team to keep an eye on this summer because with Michkov in the fray, perhaps they get a little more aggressive than initially expected. It was recently reported that the Flyers were gauging Cam Atkinson's interest on the trade market before a possible buyout. The club has too many wingers on the roster as is and with Michkov now on his way, Atkinson's days in Philadelphia might be numbered.
