Russian prospect Matvei Michkov is reportedly preparing to make his North American debut this season with the Philadelphia Flyers. Michkov, who most recently played for KHL club SKA St. Petersburg, has begun the process of terminating his contract for the purpose of joining the Flyers organization.
The uber talented forward was selected 7th overall by Philadelphia in the 2023 NHL Draft. Largely viewed as the best prospect available not named Connor Bedard, Michkov’s stock dropped due to concerns over when he would make the jump to the NHL. It would now appear as though Philadelphia’s gamble will pay off with the offensively gifted prospect ready to join his new teammates stateside.
President of hockey operations Keith Jones previously told reporters “We absolutely love what he is going to bring to the Flyers. If that timeline is sped up, that would be wonderful… When he arrives, our fan base is going to be pretty excited about getting a highly talented player that is different than what we have right now.”
The Flyers are currently scheduled to pick 12th overall in the upcoming 2024 NHL entry draft, and could be adding a double dose of talent to their roster for 2024-25. Philadelphia exceeded expectations this past season when they went 38-33-11, just missing out on the postseason.
The right winger scored 41 points (19G, 22A) as a 19 year old in the KHL last year. With his KHL deal expected to run through 2026, news that he would be leaving Russia early comes as a pleasant surprise for the Flyers.
Should Michkov leave the NHL in the future, SKA St. Petersburg will retain his KHL rights.
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