Metropolitan Division: Matvei Michkov to Join Flyers

As if the Metropolitan Division didn’t already have enough star power, another name is being inserted into the division. According to multiple reports, the Philadelphia Flyers have lured in their No.1 prospect from Russia to Philly, two years ahead of their timeline.

Matvei Michkov, drafted seventh overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, is terminating his contract in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg and is, in fact, joining the Flyers organization for the 2024-25 season.

The Flyers have yet to make an official announcement, thus, a contract with Michkov has not been made official at this time.

Regardless, multiple league and Flyers sources have confirmed Michkov’s impending arrival.

The 19-year-old Russian prodigy’s arrival in Philadelphia as soon as this summer has been rumored since the 2023-24 KHL season came to a close.

Michkov played one game for St. Petersburg and was a healthy scratch multiple times before he was loaned to HK Sochi where he scored 19 goals and 41 points in 44 KHL games. He nearly reached a point-per-game pace as a teenager in Russia’s top professional league.

Part of Michkov’s breakup with SKA seems to be that his development hadn’t gone to St. Petersburg GM Roman Rotenberg’s plan. Michkov inked a five-year contract with St. Petersburg as part of their long-term plan to turn him into a KHL star.

“We have a long-term strategy, and (Michkov) is one of the big parts of the strategy we have,” Rotenberg told The Athletic in December 2021. “Championship teams take time to build. It’s very important to have players signed for long term. We want to develop him into one of the best players in the world; that’s our aim.”

Despite Michkov’s loan and being left off the under-25 Russian team who competes with other teams in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan after their ban from the IIHF World Tournament, the Flyers prospect remains among the best prospects in the NHL.

Although we wait for an official announcement, the speculation is seemingly over. The Flyers are getting their No.1 prospect in Michkov.

Similar to how the San Jose Sharks seemingly want to surround their impending No.1 prospect/player Macklin Celibrini and Will Smith with NHL talent, the New Jersey Devils‘ division rival will likely want to do the same this summer.

The Washington Capitals just acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois. We’ll see how that works out for them, but the Metropolitan Division is already off to a hot start this summer and the Stanley Cup has yet to even be awarded.

Although the Flyers missed the playoffs by a hair, exceeding expectations despite free-falling late in the season, Jack Hughes and Co. may seemingly have their hands full with the Flyers and their new star player.

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