Article Written by Michael Doctorovitz
Originally Published on July 4, 2023
Matvei Michkov is a Philadelphia Flyer. What does that mean? Well for this very moment, and probably the next few seasons, it doesn’t mean much but it soon will.
Michkov has been called the best Russian prospect in years and was recognized as the second best player in this year’s draft but he fell to the Flyers at number seven overall due to the current geopolitical landscape and a contract with the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) that runs through the 2025-2026 season.
That leaves about three years until Michkov would be able to play in Philadelphia, if he ever plays in Philadelphia. Don’t be mistaken though, the Flyers and new General Manager Daniel Briere are on the right track. They dealt away Kevin Hayes’ contract in a trade that not many fans liked but was necessary for locker room chemistry since Hayes no longer wanted to be there.
Part of the reason Hayes wanted to be traded: head coach John Tortorella. Tortorella and Hayes’ relationship dwindled and hit an all-time low around December 2022. Ever since then, it was known Hayes wanted out.
It is clear what the Flyers are trying to do. They want to get younger and faster. In 2020, the Pandemic shortened season, the Flyers seemed to have something clicking for multiple years but that all fell apart in the playoffs and they haven’t recaptured that spark yet.
Since winning 41 games in 2020 and capturing the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, the Flyers have not won more than 31 games in a season and are a combined 122-128-39.
The bright side of that is that last season, Tortorella’s first with the team, the Flyers improved by six wins. Getting expiring, veteran, contracts off the books might hurt the win total next year but the Flyers are asking for patience and just like their roommates in the Wells Fargo Center, they just want you to “Trust The Process.” This process is different though, this process is being done right.
Michael Doctorovitz
Columnist,
The Locker Room with Billy Schweim