RW Matvei Michkov - HC Sochi, KHL (2023, 7th, PHI) Part 4

[The Gr8 Dane]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1805979963650154751

Don't be too good kid, it'll make life tough on Montreals prospects.

What a weirdo. So many fans like this on this board too lol

Reinbacher at 5 is fine if Michkov wasn’t available

Passing on Michkov is an actual nightmare that I can’t wake up from

Its gonna take 4 shifts of this kid on the NHL ice and all these copium inhaling management bootlicking habs fans will get real quiet don't worry. And I do like Reinbacher as a prospect.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Yikes, you'd think by this post Montreal didn't pass on Brady Tkachuk and Morgan Rielly for Kotkaniemi and Galchenyuk. Just because a team passes up on a player high on the draft, doesn't mean they are right. Montreal and Arizona have some masterclass examples of taking wrong guy in top 10.

Let's wait and see what they do in NHL before trying to close this case as all the teams made right choice passing on Michkov.

Right? If you're gonna give anybody's management the benefit of the doubt it certainly shouldn't be MONTREAL and ARIZONA I like our new management but let's be real here

 

[mja]

Definitely true. Like I said, it’s not really a mystery why HFFlyers is the way it is. But you’re describing a support group in a lot of ways. The despondency is self-reinforcing, and it takes the form of policing people who aren’t quite as despondent, even when they’re not blind optimists naively rationalizing everything!

I understand you think HFFlyers shuts down any attempts at being hopeful, but it's not quite true, outside of one or two people who are really just shit-posting as a coping mechanism and who should be taken with a grain of salt. To a person, the entire fanbase is hopeful about Michkov. I don't follow prospects, but from what I gather if we end up nabbing Catton there will be significantly more optimism on HFFlyers, because you can squint and see the beginnings of something to be hopeful about, including a willingness on the part of the front office to bet on skill. If it's Yakemchuk, you'll probably see more despondency. That may or may not grind gears of some of the more hopeful among us, but it's intellectually honest.

As for Michkov & Torts, I think there's an even money chance that partnership works. Torts can be fickle with his praise and criticism, even downright arbitrary, but I think he may find enough of his fetishes met with Mickhov's game that he gives Matvei the latitude he needs to develop into an impact player, Torts' patented dysfunctional power play notwithstanding.

 

[majormajor]

Revisionist history, most people said he wouldn’t come for at least 3 years and even then weren’t sure

We expected him to take three years in Russia, the reason it is unimportant is because what he does before 2026 is probably not going to matter that much compared to what he does after. Same for Smith, Reinbacher, and Simashev, they won't do much in the next couple years. Whether Michkov comes over now or in two years isn't that important.

And this isn't revisionist history, we had these same debates a year ago and some of us were pretty clear that the contract was the least important of the concerns.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Torts is going to play Michkov a lot of minutes. Torts plays his stars big minutes. And Michkov is a superstar. 70+ points (barring injury) is a certainty.

Certainty?
The support cast is not very encouraging. Look at Bedard. 70 points is a possibilty. Not a certainty.

 

[Fatass]

Certainty?
The support cast is not very encouraging. Look at Bedard. 70 points is a possibilty. Not a certainty.

Bedard missed 14 games. Barring injury Michkov puts up 70+. Calder. The kid is a phenom.

 

[FlyguyOX]

I understand you think HFFlyers shuts down any attempts at being hopeful, but it's not quite true, outside of one or two people who are really just shit-posting as a coping mechanism and who should be taken with a grain of salt. To a person, the entire fanbase is hopeful about Michkov. I don't follow prospects, but from what I gather if we end up nabbing Catton there will be significantly more optimism on HFFlyers, because you can squint and see the beginnings of something to be hopeful about, including a willingness on the part of the front office to bet on skill. If it's Yakemchuk, you'll probably see more despondency. That may or may not grind gears of some of the more hopeful among us, but it's intellectually honest.

As for Michkov & Torts, I think there's an even money chance that partnership works. Torts can be fickle with his praise and criticism, even downright arbitrary, but I think he may find enough of his fetishes met with Mickhov's game that he gives Matvei the latitude he needs to develop into an impact player, Torts' patented dysfunctional power play notwithstanding.

Yakemchuk has tons of skill…

 

[DemiGod]

when I think Bedard is still 18

 

[mja]

Yakemchuk has tons of skill…

As I said, I don't follow prospects, so I have no opinion whatsoever, but the folks who you and him are complaining about, who do follow these kids, don't seem to be terribly high on Yakemchuk's ceiling. Actually, if memory serves, I don't know that RF's a fan of Yakemchuk either.

Anyway, there are other threads to talk about Yakemchuk and the HFFlyers hive mind.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

We expected him to take three years in Russia, the reason it is unimportant is because what he does before 2026 is probably not going to matter that much compared to what he does after. Same for Smith, Reinbacher, and Simashev, they won't do much in the next couple years. Whether Michkov comes over now or in two years isn't that important.

And this isn't revisionist history, we had these same debates a year ago and some of us were pretty clear that the contract was the least important of the concerns.

The only concern I would have had with the contract status is that there was no guarantee he comes over at all. He could have ridden out those 3 years and then threatened to stay in Russia unless he gets traded to his preferred destination or something like that.

 

[Snotbubbles]

We expected him to take three years in Russia, the reason it is unimportant is because what he does before 2026 is probably not going to matter that much compared to what he does after. Same for Smith, Reinbacher, and Simashev, they won't do much in the next couple years. Whether Michkov comes over now or in two years isn't that important.

And this isn't revisionist history, we had these same debates a year ago and some of us were pretty clear that the contract was the least important of the concerns.

Except, it is important that he comes over earlier, because now, the Flyers control his development.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Bedard missed 14 games. Barring injury Michkov puts up 70+. Calder. The kid is a phenom.

He is a phenom, but that team is an offensive blackhole aside from Konecny. We will see

 

[EddieTheEagle]

He is a phenom, but that team is an offensive blackhole aside from Konecny. We will see

The Flyers offence is way better than Chicago's. Last year alone, Flyers put up 56 more goals than the Blackhawks.

Matvei will be fine and is walking in to a team that is far better positioned to help him be successful compared to Bedard.

 

[majormajor]

The only concern I would have had with the contract status is that there was no guarantee he comes over at all. He could have ridden out those 3 years and then threatened to stay in Russia unless he gets traded to his preferred destination or something like that.

Michkov can still use a potential Russian contract as leverage.

Though I tend to think that the best Russians always want to play against the best in the world. I wasn't worried that he wouldn't come over in 2026.

Except, it is important that he comes over earlier, because now, the Flyers control his development.

The track record of Russian wingers developing in Russia is outstanding. They have more time for skating and skill development and off ice training.

I'd be more concerned about his development with the Flyers.

 

[Deadpool8812]

Except, it is important that he comes over earlier, because now, the Flyers control his development.

Considering how awful the Flyers are a development, I'm not sure if that's a good thing

 

[Unger9]

Considering how awful the Flyers are a development, I'm not sure if that's a good thing

Foerster, Tippett, and York beg to differ

 

[mja]

Foerster, Tippett, and York beg to differ

York was sent down to the AHL for 20 games a season ago because he didn't respond to Torts' attempt to provoke him. I don't think it hurt or helped York at all, but it definitely hurt the team, because York was clearly already one of their three best defenseman. It's that sort of head games bullshit that people are concerned about.

As for Michkov, I think there's a solid chance that it either won't matter a la York, or that Torts will decide he likes him and lays off those tactics. We'll see.

 

[Talik Sanis]

What a weirdo. So many fans like this on this board too lol


Its gonna take 4 shifts of this kid on the NHL ice and all these copium inhaling management bootlicking habs fans will get real quiet don't worry. And I do like Reinbacher as a prospect.

Every sane Habs' fan was devastated, disgusted, and enraged last draft day. Most of us have moved on to acceptance of our team having passed over a superstar-to-generational level talent by this point, though.

 

[Unger9]

York was sent down to the AHL for 20 games a season ago because he didn't respond to Torts' attempt to provoke him. I don't think it hurt or helped York at all, but it definitely hurt the team, because York was clearly already one of their three best defenseman. It's that sort of head games bullshit that people are concerned about.

As for Michkov, I think there's a solid chance that it either won't matter a la York, or that Torts will decide he likes him and lays off those tactics. We'll see.

Torts seems to pick on players that lack fire. Michkov certainly does not. He'll be fine

 

[JRichard]

York was sent down to the AHL for 20 games a season ago because he didn't respond to Torts' attempt to provoke him. I don't think it hurt or helped York at all, but it definitely hurt the team, because York was clearly already one of their three best defenseman. It's that sort of head games bullshit that people are concerned about.

As for Michkov, I think there's a solid chance that it either won't matter a la York, or that Torts will decide he likes him and lays off those tactics. We'll see.

York’s responded well.
His offensive output is « funny »: 10, 20, 30 pts. Good for 40
3rd in his draft class behind early first Seider and Byram.

Trading down was unpopular in 2019.

 

[mja]

York’s responded well.
His offensive output is « funny »: 10, 20, 30 pts. Good for 40
3rd in his draft class behind early first Seider and Byram.

Trading down was unpopular in 2019.

I don't think York would have played any differently had he not been sent down to the AHL, is my point. Similarly, I don't think Torts' head game shit would necessarily faze Michkov either.

 

[Zine]

Your post is full with nothing but excuses. For a prospect once seen as a real alternative to Bedard certainly a lot went wrong for Michkov recently and there are lots of red flags compared to Bedard who can't seem to put a foot wrong. Like I said, it's possible that Michkov generational but let's not make that conclusion before he even played in the NHL.

Keep in mind Bedard walked into the ideal situation in Chicago. Due to their lack of talent he was 'the guy' offensively from day 1.

But at the World Championships, when Canada could also rely on other talented players, Bedard's play away from the puck became a giant liability... so much so his role and productivity diminished tenfold as the tourney progressed.


I don't think Michkov will be given the same free rein Bedard had with the Hawks.