The Flyers’ big swing for Matvei Michkov could prove to be a ‘home run’ for their rebuild

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ― On Wednesday night on the draft stage at Bridgestone Arena, Flyers president of hockey operations Keith Jones thanked the Washington Capitals for selecting him in the seventh round of the 1988 draft.

Moments later, with the No. 7 overall pick, Flyers general manager Danny Brière nabbed right winger Matvei Michkov, the best Russian NHL draft prospect since the Capitals landed Alexander Ovechkin in 2004. Brière did so one pick before Washington — which reportedly coveted Michkov — got its turn on the clock at No. 8.

» READ MORE: Flyers draft Russian winger Matvei Michkov with the No. 7 overall pick

The 5-foot-10, 172-pound Michkov has a knack for scoring goals reminiscent of the Capitals superstar. At 18, he was HK Sochi’s youngest player while on loan there last season, but still racked up 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) in 27 KHL games. His 0.74 point-per-game clip with Sochi (excluding three games with SKA St. Petersburg in which he averaged less than three minutes of ice time) would have been a record for his age group in Russia’s top pro league.

Michkov, like Ovechkin, dominated at the junior levels in Russia, too. While playing as an underager on Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s Under-16 team, Michkov collected 70 goals for 109 points in just 26 games. He followed up that performance with 38 goals and 56 points in 56 games for SKA the following season, setting a points record in Russia’s top junior league by a 16-year-old. The next season, Michkov racked up 30 goals in 28 games.

Those are gaudy numbers for a player who might have the potential to one day become the gaudy sort of star that the Flyers have lacked for years, at least since longtime captain Claude Giroux’s prime. Following Round 1 of the draft, Brière acknowledged that Michkov possesses a talent level unlike any other player in the organization. But the Flyers’ rookie general manager refused to place any loftier expectations on the shoulders of the young winger.

“We have to be careful with the word ‘superstar,’ I think,” Brière said. “If he comes and he’s a good player on our team and he can be a difference-maker, that’s all I’m asking for. Now, if he turns out more than that, that would be great. We will welcome that for sure. But I’m not putting the tag like that on him. We just hope he develops the next few years, wherever he is, and that he can become that difference-maker for us.”

How did a potential difference-maker, at the very least, slip to the Flyers at No. 7? Michkov is signed with SKA St. Petersburg through the 2025-26 season, meaning that he will likely be playing in Russia for at least the next three years. Brière has no problem being patient, however, as the Flyers are at the onset of their rebuild toward becoming a contending team. If anything, Michkov’s prospective availability could help the Flyers set a timeline for their rebuild.

Michkov’s draft position highlighted that he was too big a gamble for some teams. For Brière, Michkov’s talent level far outweighed the test of patience ahead of him and the organization.

“We’ve said it to our fans that it’s going to be a process,” Brière said. “That we weren’t going to turn this around overnight. That it would take time. I think he’s a clear example of that. Yeah, we took a big swing, but we hope that this turns out to be a home run.”

Michkov spoke to the media in Nashville through the Flyers’ Russia-based scout Ken Hoodikoff. The winger made it clear that he wants to play for the Flyers, going as far as saying that Philadelphia was “the team he wanted to be drafted by,” despite his contract situation with SKA St. Petersburg.

“I’m hoping as soon as I can get out, I’m going to come over,” Michkov said.

Then, there were the so-called character concerns surrounding Michkov that circulated in the weeks leading up to the draft. Included in those concerns was the notion that he was angling to join a specific team. (Michkov said in Nashville that he “never mentioned” that sentiment to NHL clubs.) Anonymous scouts used words like “cocky” and “entitled” to describe the young, notably Russian goal scorer.

But Brière and the Flyers met with Michkov twice — first in a smaller group, then in a larger group — to get to know him on a personal level. Brière said on both occasions, Michkov blew the organization away with his personality, his “smiley” nature, and how much he seemed to embrace the idea of becoming a Flyer.

“For Matvei, it was pretty cool to see him respond to the question, ‘Are you afraid to play in Philadelphia?’” Brière said. “And he said, ‘Absolutely not. I want to be a Flyer. I want to play in a hockey market.’ That’s another thing he said. So that made us feel pretty good about it.”

If Michkov was the home-run swing, then Brière’s selection of right-shot defenseman Oliver Bonk at No. 22 was closer to a safe bunt. At 6-2, 180 pounds, Bonk is a steady, defensive-minded defenseman who spent last season with the OHL’s London Knights. He is reliable in his own end, and utilizes his frame to shut down plays. Bonk’s offensive skill set isn’t considered to be particularly dynamic, but he collected 40 points last season (10 goals and 30 assists) and quarterbacked London’s power play.

» READ MORE: Flyers draft defenseman Oliver Bonk with their second pick of the first round

Brière was pleased that he was able to pick up a defenseman at No. 22, helping to address an organizational need to bolster the blue line, especially on the right side.

“We got nervous on Bonk,” Brière said. “We thought he would go a lot earlier than that. There wasn’t very many defensemen left that we were excited [about] in that range. So we saw the board start to fall. We felt a right-shot defenseman, like him, we just can’t pass on.”

While each of Brière’s swings varied in size, both picks have the potential to address organizational needs down the line. Now, it’s only a matter of time — and plenty of patience — before those puzzle pieces can fit together to be a part of the solution.