Confirmed with Link: SKA Officially Terminates Matvei Michkov’s Contract - He’s Coming! upd: signs ELC on 7/1
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This was my comment in the michkov main forums after yesterday's preseason game:
" This game Michkov did not play his offensive game like a typical winger, more like a traditional center actually, pretty unique.
Slows the game down sometimes, sets up teammates numerous times towards space and into chances, behind the net presence to distribute while body shielding at times.
Looked kinda like Forsberg almost....."
If it looks like it, passes like it , plays like it.....it very well could be IT.
Redpath
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- Sep 30, 2011
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He plays like a center, he's expressed interest in playing center, the Flyers have a need for center. Even Demidov has said he thinks Michkov can play center.
If you're skilled enough to slow the game down to where you control it like Forsberg, then you're special.
Gert B Frobe
Registered User
Lots to notice about MIchkov, and I'm not sure I'm describing this particular quality / skill properly.
Preface to my point: He's very good along the boards for a guy his size, age and experience playing against NHL defenders (very small sample size).
Which brings me to my point - when he comes away from the boards on his forehand, he has an incredible ability to hook passes sharply and accurately across his body. I'm sure the short stick helps, and I guess he has a big curve that both help.
Paired with his vision and ability to lift passes over multiple defender sticks, and land them so precisely is striking. He is so accurate, and throws passes where you think "well that's not getting through" and then it does, and it jumps out at you.
Combine this with his ability to just know where the puck is while at his feet, or defender's feet, all while having a picture in his head of where everyone else is, then make that quick pass out of a scrum is striking. Don't know if it's not looking at the puck, or just anticipating where other players are, or a combination of the two, but watching him make those plays is so far outside of the expected norm since Giroux left.
Trying to think of comparable players who did this really well but I'm not coming up with anyone outside of guys that were / are great at everything in general. Gretzky was the best, and Crosby is incredible, but both used their backhand more (I think). And it's foolish to compare to either of them. I have seen Gretzky, Lemieux, Forsberg and Crosby live multiple times, from great seats and I was always shocked by their vision.
But what comparable players have we seen that are way below these guys, but excel at this particular skill? Ville Leino maybe? Didn't he use a really short stick? Great passer. Let's hope Leino is the basement floor for Michkov, and he never gets close to it.
His shot doesn't seem great though. Maybe the short stick hurts there? Forsberg wasn't really a sniper with that short stick.
I'm hoping for a Teemu Selanne type of rookie season. I'm nothing if not a bit delusional. Michkov is nowhere near the physical player that Selanne was. But I'm two martinis in, and I don't care.
Preface to my point: He's very good along the boards for a guy his size, age and experience playing against NHL defenders (very small sample size).
Which brings me to my point - when he comes away from the boards on his forehand, he has an incredible ability to hook passes sharply and accurately across his body. I'm sure the short stick helps, and I guess he has a big curve that both help.
Paired with his vision and ability to lift passes over multiple defender sticks, and land them so precisely is striking. He is so accurate, and throws passes where you think "well that's not getting through" and then it does, and it jumps out at you.
Combine this with his ability to just know where the puck is while at his feet, or defender's feet, all while having a picture in his head of where everyone else is, then make that quick pass out of a scrum is striking. Don't know if it's not looking at the puck, or just anticipating where other players are, or a combination of the two, but watching him make those plays is so far outside of the expected norm since Giroux left.
Trying to think of comparable players who did this really well but I'm not coming up with anyone outside of guys that were / are great at everything in general. Gretzky was the best, and Crosby is incredible, but both used their backhand more (I think). And it's foolish to compare to either of them. I have seen Gretzky, Lemieux, Forsberg and Crosby live multiple times, from great seats and I was always shocked by their vision.
But what comparable players have we seen that are way below these guys, but excel at this particular skill? Ville Leino maybe? Didn't he use a really short stick? Great passer. Let's hope Leino is the basement floor for Michkov, and he never gets close to it.
His shot doesn't seem great though. Maybe the short stick hurts there? Forsberg wasn't really a sniper with that short stick.
I'm hoping for a Teemu Selanne type of rookie season. I'm nothing if not a bit delusional. Michkov is nowhere near the physical player that Selanne was. But I'm two martinis in, and I don't care.
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HeadLiceHatty
Registered User
Beef Invictus
Revolutionary Positivity
Watching him since he was drafted it's constantly amazing how often his possession battles against the boards against 1 and 2 opponents aren't actually battles. They look like it, but the reality is that he is in control, and through the chaos he has enough space and control to make precise passes while being challenged. It's heartening to see him do it in a Flyers jersey even if preseason is a bad measure.
Or he skates into the middle of an existing fight for the puck and just bullies out a play. Live it looks like a regular chaotic board battle but on replay you can see he's just managing to create a bubble of control for himself. The dude isn't close to his physical peak either. He's going to be a menace.
Adtar02
@NateThompson44 is a bum
His passing gives giroux vibes. This kid is going to be very good. Same thing I said about giroux when he came up. My family hated that I wouldn’t stop raving about him. Sad how Clark treated him in the end.
WolfgangPuck
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HeadLiceHatty
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Danko
The Bearer of Bad Knees
- Jul 28, 2004
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I'd rather keep him at wing. Center ice you have more responsibilities on the back check - have to get lower in the defensive zone backup defensemen as they go in the corners, faceoffs, breakouts he would likely be having to go through the middle of the ice instead of sticking along the board side which naturally takes him lower into the zone towards the back of the net where he has magic.
67 others
Registered User
ellja3
Registered User
The place that does sports printing/stitching for my floorball team will check whether they can take off [Provorov] nameplate and add [Michkov] on my Reverse Retro jersey. I don't even care if the font is off and that it's #9 not #39
In fairness to the guy you're responding to, Panarin was a grown man. Not a kid. However, in fairness to you, as time passes I am less and less sure Torts will have any negative impact on him. Actually in an almost complete 180, I think there is a real possibility Torts and him are going to be quite the tandem. I think he said he won't bench him for trying to create offense. That is big. Also, not sure if it is Torts or just Matvei wanting to win, but Matvei has looked better defensively in 4 preseason games for the Flyers than he did in 2 full years with Sochi. Regardless of that, Matvei's play style fits extremely well into the system Torts was running last year
Speaking about homers...
forums.hfboards.com
Who will win the Calder Trophy 24-25 Season?
Wright was sent back to the AHL. Woof!
scumpup
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- Nov 29, 2021
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What I like about Michkov is how he completely dictates the flow of the game by being on the ice. He is acutely away of every skater around him and what the goalie is doing. It's like he's playing a video game. I think he can play center and it won't really change anything. I think if he had a really good center that could match his play it would be beneficial for him to play wing, but since we don't have that it really doesn't matter. I just don't see him being anything less than a Tier 1B player in his prime but he needs a partner in crime, just like every great.
Flyerfan4life
Registered User
im interested to see how he does vs. actual NHL caliber opposition...until then everything else is fluff.
scumpup
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- Nov 29, 2021
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Look some things are just destiny, and Matvei Michkov will get Comcast to sell the team, win 5 cups, and beat the penguins.
Yeah, he needs to say something like "Never use Comcast internet, it's the shitiest internet humankind has ever known". Then Comcast will have to either trade Michkov or sell the team...
Curufinwe
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- Feb 28, 2013
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What do people think about the Flyers moving him to LW?
I thought he was going to be a playmaking lefty RW, kind of like Jagr.
I thought he was going to be a playmaking lefty RW, kind of like Jagr.
