The Flyers did the inevitable and signed their top right wing and soon-to-be-28-year-old Travis Konecny to a lifetime extension. While it wasn’t necessarily an unexpected outcome, (we’ve covered why that was a not great idea here and here) the fact they just committed eight years and $70 million to a position that their brand new toy and top prospect Matvei Michkov plays is a bit of a head scratcher.
The question now becomes is Konecny 1RW for the foreseeable future and Michkov is limited because of it? Or did they just pay a super premium for a 2RW and Michkov leaves Konecny in the dust from day one?
Considering the Flyers’ wing depth in general is strong (but with virtually no center depth) and everyone’s vying for ice time, there’s no easy solution to undo the clog plaguing the entire roster, let alone Michkov and Konecny.
Michkov is left shot, which theoretically means he should lineup in the left side, but he’s mainly taken up residency on the right wing during his career. That’s pretty much the opposite of everyone else on the roster, a bunch of right-shot right wingers being forced to play on the left side due to the overcrowding on the right.
In a perfect world, they shouldn’t mess with what works for their top prospect. He should play where he feels the most comfortable as he transitions to the NHL, holding off any shift until at least next season.
We, however, don’t live in a perfect world. We live in John Tortorella land, where creating lineups with players out of position is just part of the normal ongoing when he’s around. Michkov started the season at left wing across from Konecny but Tortorella was unimpressed by Michkov in that role and he was bumped back to the right side for the third game of the season and that just so happened to be where he scored his first two goals of his career.
Expecting the Flyers to assess and consider future ramifications when they make a move has never really been their strong suit, and re-signing Konecny seemingly without factoring in the ripple effects it has on their crown jewel of the future Matvei Michkov fits in with their M.O. no matter how little sense it makes.
Having two good players at the same position isn’t a bad thing, but it is a bad time for the indecision to happen. Especially considering Konecny isn’t among the bonafide elite of the NHL. He’s a dude that has become the de facto best forward on the team because the rest of the group has been neglected.
It’ll be a storyline worth keeping an eye on as the season goes along, especially if one rises above the other. But with the top nine, and particularly the top six, being so interchangeable, this may not be something to worry about just yet. But if they ever choose to add a top center and where the winger lineup begins to matter, this will become a very interesting battle that will be ongoing for the literal next decade.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: Getty Images
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