The Philadelphia Flyers announced that Matvei Michkov, who is regarded by some as the best prospect in hockey, signed his entry-level contract (ELC) on July 1, 2024. As is standard with ELCs, it is a three-year deal.
In the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in 2023-24, Michkov scored 19 goals and 22 assists for 41 points in 48 games. What does his arrival mean for Philadelphia?
Who Is Matvei Michkov?
Even though he fell to the seventh-overall spot in the 2023 NHL Draft, don’t be fooled—Michkov is one of the best prospects to enter the draft in the 21st century. He lit up Russian junior leagues and did so even further by the time he played professionally at 17 years old. Coming close to or outright setting records everywhere he went, Michkov would have been a justified first-overall pick in many drafts. Luckily for the Flyers, he fell six spots below that mark.
Michkov has both the intelligence and a level of offensive skill that the Flyers have not seen in a prospect historically other than Eric Lindros and Peter Forsberg—both are members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. It will take some time for the youngster to reach his true potential, but that potential is essentially limitless. He isn’t a sure-thing player, but prospects who put up his numbers tend to be incredible NHL athletes. He has the chance to be the latest of some incredible Russian wingers throughout the years.
The Flyers now have a responsibility to build around Michkov. He projects to be the leader of the franchise in terms of talent for the long-term future, so it will be interesting to see what kind of team general manager (GM) Danny Briere puts around him.
