RW Matvei Michkov (2023, 7th, PHI) Part 4

[fasterthanlight]

I want to re re re emphasize that Matvei credibly told several teams not to draft him. While there's no confirmed report of him directly telling the sharks he wouldn't report (other than vague comments where you can connect the dots), it was obvious on draft day that he was an immense talent. him falling out of top 2-4 had little to do with his hockey.

Exciting to see him in the NHL and happy he's not in the West :p

 

[Kshahdoo]

I want to re re re emphasize that Matvei credibly told several teams not to draft him. While there's no confirmed report of him directly telling the sharks he wouldn't report (other than vague comments where you can connect the dots), it was obvious on draft day that he was an immense talent. him falling out of top 2-4 had little to do with his hockey.

Exciting to see him in the NHL and happy he's not in the West :p

Yeah, sure, he would have refused to live and play in California...

 

[ViD]

I am trying to justify why people are saying that Michkov basically hand picked the team that drafted him - what’s so special about the Flyers for him to refuse to play for Arizona, Montreal and Washington for them ?

 

[HabzSauce]

I am trying to justify why people are saying that Michkov basically hand picked the team that drafted him - what’s so special about the Flyers for him to refuse to play for Arizona, Montreal and Washington for them ?

Philly is close to New York. Closer than WSH. And Arizona was a dump organization playing in a college arena.

MTL I don't think he would say no to

 

[fasterthanlight]

Yeah, sure, he would have refused to live and play in California...

He told AZ no, I don't see why he wouldn't do the same for the sharks. It's a small market team. The biggest UFA we've ever signed is like ... Paul Martin

 

[dendazen]

I am trying to justify why people are saying that Michkov basically hand picked the team that drafted him - what’s so special about the Flyers for him to refuse to play for Arizona, Montreal and Washington for them ?

It was a favorite team NHL team of his father, given what happened to his father in the draft year, I guess he made it his mission to play for the team, considering that in all of his Russian interviews he was praising that his father gave him everything, every day was taking him to Perm for practices 2 hours drive one way. I think that is the main reason.

 

[ViD]

It was a favorite team NHL team of his father, given what happened to his father in the draft year, I guess he made it his mission to play for the team, considering that in all of his Russian interviews he was praising that his father gave him everything, every day was taking him to Perm for practices 2 hours drive one way. I think that is the main reason.

Interesting, I didn’t know that. Do you have a link to an article where he says that ?

 

[fasterthanlight]

I am trying to justify why people are saying that Michkov basically hand picked the team that drafted him - what’s so special about the Flyers for him to refuse to play for Arizona, Montreal and Washington for them ?

IDK his reasoning, it's just stuff his agent credibly said:

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/takes/washington-capitals-matvei-michkov-not-drafted

It seems pretty clear that at least some of the teams who passed on him did so because he said he didn't want to play there.

This article singles out AZ and WSH so I'm not sure about the others, but if he's picking and choosing and your team is going off the board is a reasonable conclusion that, in the interview, it's possible that the player was giving off "don't draft me" vibes

 

[MrGuyPerson]

I am trying to justify why people are saying that Michkov basically hand picked the team that drafted him - what’s so special about the Flyers for him to refuse to play for Arizona, Montreal and Washington for them ?

Ehhh I do think he did picked them. AZ was playing in a college arena. Washington was Ovie's franchise and he would want to leave his own legacy. Montreal, it gets a bit dicey. I don't think they will ever admit it because they are proud and consider themselves a, if not the, premier franchise in ice Hockey, but yeah I think he indicated to them he wasn't interested. Maybe it was because he didn't know English and the idea of learning English and French was daunting, maybe it is because Canada is North America's freezer and he was already living in Europe's version and wanted a change of pace(Really hope this wasn't offensive geniunely just trying to be silly). Who knows? Here is how I imagine the conversation, just for funsies:

MTL : "Hi Matvei, what would you think about having a career in MTL"
MM: "Thanks for the offer, but no thank you" MTL: "You don't want to play for the Yankees of Hockey? F*** You."
MM : "I thought the Leafs were the Yankees of Hockey?"
MTL: "Gasp. You think a team that hasn't won a cup since 60s could be the Yankees?"
MM: "Wait... I thought the Yankees was just the team with the most money?"
MTL : "Oh okay so now we are poor and you think the Leafs are the Yankees instead of us. That's a character issue if I've ever seen one. You're done kid. Wait till I tell my boyz around the league about this. Better pack your shorts and freshen up on Desert speak hombre, because your heading to AZ at best."
MM : "What is AZ? I get call from AZ and phone block because spam. AZ not Spam?"
MTL : "Spam...Yes...AZ is... Spam. Bye."

 

[Fantomas]

IDK his reasoning, it's just stuff his agent credibly said:

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/takes/washington-capitals-matvei-michkov-not-drafted

When one actually reads - carefully - what the agent is saying, the following things are clear:

- There's no evidence that Michkov said that he wouldn't play for Arizona, Washington, or any other teams, nor that he'd refuse to leave Russia for the NHL as a consequence

- There's no evidence he at any point said that they shouldn't draft him.

All we know is that his agent claims he had no desire to play for them. Which is a nothingburger. It doesn't mean he would have refused to play for them.

Players have preferences. Sometimes they drive a hard bargain. Some teams conclude they should pass on a talent like this and draft someone like David Reinbacher instead. Seems a little dumb to me.

what’s so special about the Flyers for him to refuse to play for Arizona, Montreal and Washington for them ?

Michkov never refused to play for anyone. This is fake news.

 

[Redpath]

Even if Michkov was uncooperative with a team in the lead-up to the draft, it's a tough sell to get bullied out of drafting a 1st overall caliber talent who has practically zero leverage.

Michkov's only advantage would be to say "If you draft me, I won't sign/come over." But how many times has that ever happened with an elite European prospect ever? (NCAA players have the threat of hitting UFA. CHL players have the threat of re-entering the draft) Michkov would have came over no matter what.

 

[ViD]

I think it’s all much simpler than people think

Michkov had the contract until 2025 and nobody believed he would come over in a year

Michkov is Russian and they could not scout him during international competitions

There was some deliberate misinformation campaign against him that likely swayed some teams from drafting him.

At the end of the day the top 4 teams decided to go with safe options at center.

Arizona had a complete brain fart and Montreal listened to their Russian scout.

 

[Zine]

I want to re re re emphasize that Matvei credibly told several teams not to draft him. While there's no confirmed report of him directly telling the sharks he wouldn't report (other than vague comments where you can connect the dots), it was obvious on draft day that he was an immense talent. him falling out of top 2-4 had little to do with his hockey.

Exciting to see him in the NHL and happy he's not in the West :p

You’re just propagating the bullshit written about Michkov.

Not once did Michkov’s agent (Fedotov) say Michkov wound refuse to report to a team, nor did he tell anybody not to draft him, nor did he pick and chose where we wanted to go.
He merely said Michkov has strong preferences for certain teams, and others not so much.

I assume it’s the same for most prospects. The only difference is Michkov is honest. Most other players just shut up and do the typical “being drafted by (insert team) is the greatest thrill of my life!” song and dance routine no-matter who drafts them.

 

[Zine]

I think it’s all much simpler than people think

Michkov had the contract until 2025 and nobody believed he would come over in a year

Michkov is Russian and they could not scout him during international competitions

There was some deliberate misinformation campaign against him that likely swayed some teams from drafting him.

At the end of the day the top 4 teams decided to go with safe options at center.

Arizona had a complete brain fart and Montreal listened to their Russian scout.

Montreal’s Bobrov is an abject moron who reportedly had negative insider info on Michkov via his connections to SKA through his dad.

I think Montreal is now realizing (via Demidov) that SKA/Rotenberg’s assessment and usage of youth talent is mind numbingly incompetent.

 

[FlyguyOX]

I want to re re re emphasize that Matvei credibly told several teams not to draft him.

I want to re-emphasize you have no proof except for conjecture and hearsay.

 

[Sacha BOXviert]

I would like to understand the teams' strategy for the Draft, but when I watch Michkov play I really don't understand anything.
The Draft is very simple

 

[FlyguyOX]

IDK his reasoning, it's just stuff his agent credibly said:

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/takes/washington-capitals-matvei-michkov-not-drafted

It seems pretty clear that at least some of the teams who passed on him did so because he said he didn't want to play there.

This article singles out AZ and WSH so I'm not sure about the others, but if he's picking and choosing and your team is going off the board is a reasonable conclusion that, in the interview, it's possible that the player was giving off "don't draft me" vibes

You're kidding yourself if you don't think prospects have preferences for teams that draft them. That's all that article insinuated - preference.

 

[dgibb10]

I want to re re re emphasize that Matvei credibly told several teams not to draft him. While there's no confirmed report of him directly telling the sharks he wouldn't report (other than vague comments where you can connect the dots), it was obvious on draft day that he was an immense talent. him falling out of top 2-4 had little to do with his hockey.

Exciting to see him in the NHL and happy he's not in the West :p

Falling out of the top 4 had to do with how ridiculously talented all of Bedard, Carlsson, Fantilli and Smith were, all of whom are also centers

 

[thedjpd]

He told AZ no, I don't see why he wouldn't do the same for the sharks. It's a small market team. The biggest UFA we've ever signed is like ... Paul Martin

Just FYI, San Jose has a higher population than Dallas, DC, etc. Not really a small market.

 

[La Bamba]

Michkov is looking like a super prospect, good on Philly (my 2nd fave team if I had to pick)

I’m stunned Montreal didn’t take him.