Matvei Michkov, the 19-year-old kid who has already become the face of the Flyers.
Michkov is a dynamic offensive player, and the dangles and dekes he makes in the offensive zone look like stuff you’d only see in a video game. He could be a perennial all-star if only Flyers head coach John Tortorella would allow him to play like this.
Tortorella has not been soft-spoken about his dislike of “flashy goals” and how the National Hockey League has gone soft. In 2023, Anaheim Ducks’ forwards Trevor Zegras and Sonny Milano scored a goal where Zegras flipped a puck over the net for Sonny Milano to bat into the net.
The following day on ESPN’s The Point, Tortorella was asked for his thoughts, and he said:
“It’s fun to watch. It’s cool, but I just think our game has gone so far away from what it should be.”
Michkov averages 16:34 minutes for Time on Ice, which is only ninth on the team. Furthermore, Tortorella has not done the best job with line combinations this season and is even worse at finding linemates who match Michkov’s style of hockey.
Michkov is playing on a line with Morgan Frost and Scott Laughton. Only two other players on the Flyers roster could match Matvei’s style, Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny, but Torts haven’t played them much together.
The Flyers are halfway through the season, and Michkov is 2nd in rookie points only behind Montreal defenseman Lane Hutson.
Hopefully, he can catch up and add the Calder Trophy to his trophy case.
PHOTO: ClutchPoints
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