It has been a turbulent sophomore season for forward Matvei Michkov as he’s feuded with head coach Rick Tocchet all season. Whether it’s because the coach holds a supposed anti-Russian bias or some utterly bizarre resentment for coming into camp in less than stellar shape, it’s been an uphill battle for the 21-year-old to even get consistent ice time this season.
Now, he gets healthy scratched during a playoff game (which they went on to lose) after playing less than 10 minutes of ice time in two of his four postseason games so far. The continued undermining of Michkov, especially now during the time of year when it matter most, poses an interesting question- are they going to trade him this summer?
Should the Flyers trade their former seventh overall pick this summer? Let’s weigh some pros and cons!
Pros
Trade him instead of killing his value
If the Flyers fully intend on snuffing Michkov’s value any further by continuing to hamstring his development, at some point, it’s just smart business to trade the guy away before they do any more damage. They’ve masked the downshift in ice time and frequent scratches as “learning” but that doesn’t make much sense when given a few seconds of rational thought.
If they slow him down to speed him back up once or twice now and again, fine. There’s nothing wrong with being scratched once during a random game in December. But repeated ice time cuts and healthy scratches, especially come playoff time, eventually look less like a learning moment and rather punishment and unnecessary barriers for the player.
Top piece for top piece
The Flyers are in desperate need of a top center (and a top defenseman) and are going to have to pay up to acquire one via trade given the shallow 2026 free agent pool. There aren’t exactly have many options when it comes to dealing away valuable pieces from the Flyers’ perspective. Porter Martone, Matvei Michkov and maybe Tyson Foerster are practically it.
We looked at the potential of trading one of the wingers a few weeks ago, and it’s not an easy choice. But since Michkov is the odd man out, is he actually going to get traded to (hopefully) secure a big piece elsewhere on the roster?
Will it ever turn around in Philly?
What are the odds the Flyers go into next season and all of a sudden Michkov is playing on the top line for 20 minutes a night unabated? It feels unlikely that this odd public flogging he’s on the receiving end of is just magically going to stop under Tocchet, particularly if they don’t clear out the winger corps by moving someone else. Michkov’s role under Tocchet has been the whipping boy and nothing more.
If they keep him on the roster, continue to play him less than 10 minutes a night, then it comes to a point where they have to trade him and have zero leverage in a deal.
Cons
Why trade him in the first place?
Putting the absurdity of the hinderances aside, Michkov probably has the second highest ceiling on the roster behind Porter Martone. In a perfect world… hell, even in a semi-normal world, the thought of trading Michkov shouldn’t even be a conclusion that can be arrived upon by any standard. But the organization has fumbled this so badly that it now seems like the obvious trajectory. Leave it to the Flyers to turn a theoretical non-issue into a potential headline story.
Can they “win” a trade?
The Flyers have spent two seasons douse the value Michkov brings by trying to force him to play a role he isn’t built for. Even if they get a decent return for the guy in a trade, the chance they “win” any deal feels unlikely. Say Michkov goes to a team that utilizes him in a proper capacity and gives him copious powerplay time, there’s a good chance he can be at least a point-per-game player and a franchise cornerstone. We’ve seen hints of his true potential in the few and far between moments that he’s unleashed. At best they break even with a top young center of their own they get in return, at worst it goes down as one of the worst trades in franchise history.
Another draft failure
The long-rebuilding Philadelphia Flyers have a funny way of not only drafting terribly, but to screw up the various picks that actually agree to play for the franchise. Thanks to so geopolitical issues, the Flyers had this Russian star fall into their laps at seventh overall, and still find a way to screw it all up. Well done, Flyers. It’s hard to imagine why they’ve been “rebuilding” for 15 years now.
Conclusion
Gotta say, trading Michkov was not a topic that was ever expected to be volleyed about before the end of his sophomore season even came to an end, but here we are.
The answer is no, they shouldn’t trade him. But it certainly feels like the path they’ve willingly traveled down with him this season leaves very little other options.
Whether you’ve taken up the side of Michkov, or Tocchet, or you’re a “positive” fan or a “negative” fan, plainly put, the Flyers have to pick a direction with Michkov. It’s now just basic asset management at its finest. Either commit to playing him and letting him develop, or trade him before his value sinks any further than it already has. Running it back with Michkov on an overcrowded winger corps where he’ll play 10 minutes a night if he’s lucky then dealing him away for a fourth round pick as a pending restricted free agent next summer is painfully stupid.
From a fan perspective, Michkov and his handling have been a very polarizing topic as the season’s gone on. During the winter, a vast majority were supportive of the player, but now a considerate amount have seemingly given up on the kid. If there was ever a time to pull the ripcord and not feel the potential blowback from the front office, now is it.
It doesn’t feel like trading Michkov would be something the front office wants to do, or is willing to do, for what it’s worth. It always felt like Briere and Jones held the player in much higher regard than the rest of their colleagues, and in a perfect world this wouldn’t even be a conversation. However, the way this season is unfolding and the way the head coach is using his players, Briere may have his hands tied to
Siding with a head coach’s dumbassery over a potential future star of the organization is definitely… a choice. But if they’re not going to use him, some other team out there will. Trading him for a piece or two that the Flyers will actually incorporate into their product in a meaningful capacity may just be the smartest play given the situation.
Congrats, Flyers, another perfectly played predicament you guys got here!
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: nhl.com
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