Flyers' Top Draft Pick Matvei Michkov Joins NHL with Eyes on Top-Six Role

Tuesday, June 25th, 2024

Philadelphia Flyers draftee Matvei Michkov is set to depart from SKA St. Petersburg to join the NHL this upcoming offseason. The Flyers selected the 19-year-old winger with the seventh pick in the 2023 NHL draft. Michkov is anticipated to be a top-six winger, possibly even a top-line player, and he may also see time on the power play. Michkov's draft selection brought some uncertainty about when he would make the move from Russia to North America. Initially, he expressed a desire to play for SKA and would only consider returning to the NHL if he also returned to the KHL. During the 2023-24 season, Michkov played just one game for SKA before spending the rest of the season on loan at HK Sochi, where he scored 19 goals and accumulated 41 points over 47 games in his debut full season in the KHL. The Flyers aim to build on their progress from the 2023-24 season, having hired John Tortorella, who led a slightly improved team in the 2024-25 season. Michkov mentioned that the decision to leave Russia was challenging, but he believes it was the right choice. He is driven by the memory of his father, Andrey, who passed away in 2023 and always dreamed of seeing him debut in the NHL.

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