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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
IT’S THE BIGGEST MYSTERY surrounding the Philadelphia Flyers, one whose reply might make or break their season:
“Can they coexist?”
Can Matvei Michkov, the 19-year-old Russian-born rookie whose offensive dexterity is just eclipsed by his boundless enthusiasm, discover concord with coach John Tortorella, whose legendary adherence to “taking part in the fitting means” has seen him bench or scratch younger expertise after they failed to fulfill his requirements?
“I’ve little doubt that there is going to be some fireworks right here and there, similar to he has with nearly each single participant,” Flyers common supervisor Danny Briere predicted. “On the finish of the day, Torts is the coach and he’ll handle him. He’ll educate him to be a professional. Torts’ aim is to make Matvei the very best participant he may be.”
The ends might justify the means, however the means may be irritating for his gamers. Simply ask any participant who has obtained a few of Tortorella’s trademark robust love whereas being disadvantaged of taking part in time.
Whereas Tortorella is a demanding coach, he is additionally a realist. The Flyers have been twenty seventh within the NHL in targets per sport final season (2.82). Michkov can rating targets in addition to he can create them for others, hitting the spotlight reel with frequency. Tortorella and Michkov related over the summer season to ascertain expectations for his rookie season.
“I can not wait to see how he’s going to create offense [in the NHL]. I feel his mind is fairly particular,” Briere mentioned. “We have not had one of these participant in an extended whereas right here.”
Out of offensive necessity — and in defiance of his status — Tortorella appears able to let Michkov be Michkov, for the betterment of the Flyers.
“We’re ravenous for the forms of instinctive performs that he could make,” mentioned Tortorella, in his third yr teaching in Philadelphia. “I am not desirous about turning him right into a checker. We wish to lay the inspiration. It will take time. However are we going to beat him over the pinnacle with it? No.”
The Flyers do not simply want the targets that Michkov can generate. They want the vibes. At the very least that is how Tortorella sees it.
Like when Michkov scored his first aim of the preseason into an empty internet. He skated over and jumped into the glass close to the followers, earlier than enthusiastically hugging his teammates, in what was primarily a follow sport.
“He scored an empty-netter in an exhibition sport, and it was prefer it was Sport 7,” Tortorella mentioned. “I like that about him. I feel it rubs off on the group.”
MICHKOV WAS AN INTERNATIONAL man of mystery heading into the 2023 NHL draft.
Some scouts claimed the winger had the very best expertise ceiling outdoors of No. 1 decide Connor Bedard. However some questioned why Michkov skipped the scouting mix and met with solely sure groups, fueling hypothesis that he was making an attempt to maneuver his option to a particular touchdown spot — one thing the participant has denied.
There was one other wrinkle: Michkov was underneath contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League for the subsequent three seasons, which means that his NHL debut would not theoretically come till 2026-27.
Undaunted, the Flyers selected him seventh.
“I do have a contract, however I am hoping as quickly as I can get out, I’ll come right here,” Michkov mentioned after being drafted.
“It’s what it’s,” Briere mentioned on the time. “We all know he has a contract for 3 extra seasons. However we simply felt after watching him play and assembly him, we felt he is a expertise we will not cross up. If we have now to attend, we’ll wait.”
The wait wasn’t lengthy. Michkov spent another season within the KHL after which jumped to the NHL this summer season.
It was the second high-profile Russian participant that Briere’s entrance workplace managed to deliver over to North America. Goalie Ivan Fedotov, whom the group drafted in 2015, lastly arrived with the Flyers final season after a quite circuitous journey. He is anticipated to kind a goaltending battery with Samuel Ersson this season.
Fedotov put up robust numbers within the KHL and helped the athletes from Russia win Olympic silver within the 2022 Beijing Video games. The Flyers signed him in 2022, however Fedotov was reportedly taken by Russian authorities to a remote military base within the Arctic Circle for a yr of service, which they claimed he was making an attempt to keep away from by going to the NHL.
“The army took him again. So it took a little bit longer for him,” Briere mentioned.
Philadelphia tolled Fedotov’s NHL contract, assuming that he’d report one yr later. As an alternative, the KHL introduced he had signed a two-year contract with CSKA Moscow.
In 2024, after the CSKA Moscow season ended, it was introduced that Fedotov’s KHL contract had been terminated, and he joined the Flyers for 3 video games final season.
The Flyers have been guarded about how they managed to get Fedotov and Michkov underneath contract.
When requested about Michkov particularly, Briere mentioned it was the younger standout’s want to match his skills with the very best on the earth.
“You want a willingness from the participant as properly. Ivan wished to be right here. Matvei wished to be right here,” he mentioned. “Matvei’s so aggressive. He desires to point out the world that he belongs up there with them.”
Michkov and Fedotov are crucial gamers for the Flyers this season. They’re additionally merchandise of Russia, coming into the NHL at a time when the worldwide hockey group’s relationship with the nation is strained.
Russia and Belarus have been banned from the IIHF world championships for 3 years due to the invasion of Ukraine. The Worldwide Olympic Committee will determine about their eligibility for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy by Might. In February, the NHL is holding a match that options 4 nations however would not contain Russia, because the league could not work out tips on how to transfer ahead with one other World Cup with out its participation.
The main target for the Flyers stays on the ice, based on the GM, the place the Flyers are pushing for his or her first playoff berth since 2020 and their first Stanley Cup since 1975.
The Michkov-Tortorella partnership will likely be a vital part to that push.
MICHKOV UNDERSTANDS HOW MUCH buzz surrounds his arrival in Philadelphia. Like when he confirmed as much as coaching camp and noticed dozens of followers already carrying his jersey, which is one thing he mentioned he is by no means skilled earlier than as a participant.
The Flyers are doing what they’ll to mood expectations on Michkov’s first NHL marketing campaign.
“I am lifelike. It will be a tricky season for him. That is the very best league on the earth. It is a huge step. It is not going to be straightforward,” Briere mentioned. “So my expectations are literally fairly low. I am excited to look at him play, however he’ll should undergo loads earlier than he is the participant that he expects to be.”
Tortorella has a menu of issues Michkov might want to work on as a rookie.
“Shift size is one thing we’ll think about with him,” he mentioned. “He hasn’t performed 82 video games.”
Tortorella drew a comparability between Rangers star Artemi Panarin — whom he coached with the Columbus Blue Jackets — and Michkov, in the way in which they’ll shortly speed up when their group positive factors possession of the puck.
“It is humorous the way you watch a man like [Panarin], the place it is likely to be a little bit little bit of a battle to get again when you do not have the puck, and the way shortly it comes again after they do have the puck,” the coach mentioned. “Bread is without doubt one of the finest at it, and I feel Mich has a little bit little bit of that.”
Tortorella mentioned there is a discernible bounce in high quality of play from exhibition season to the common season that Michkov should deal with, and that “situational play” will likely be one of many greatest studying curves for him.
“I feel that is the important thing factor once you’re coping with offensive gamers. There are specific instances within the sport once you’ve simply acquired to be easy. You will have to struggle one other day to make that play,” he mentioned. “That is one thing I do know we’ll have to show him. However I wish to let him go. We’re not going to attempt to stifle him in any means so far as his creativity.”
For all of the issues in regards to the coexistence between Michkov and Tortorella, the coach says he desires to only let him fly.
“You get glad for a 19-year-old child, coming from abroad, highlight on him a little bit bit, and he simply goes and performs,” he mentioned. “After I consider myself at that age, there’s not an opportunity I could possibly be doing the issues he is doing. I used to be by no means mature sufficient. So it is enjoyable for an older particular person to take a look at a younger child having fun with himself and dealing with the state of affairs like he has.”
John Tortorella, residing vicariously by Matvei Michkov. Who knew?
