Chicken N Raffls
Here for the chaos and lolz
Yep. I like to rag on TORTS as much as anyone, but the idea of him and Michkov having issues because of MM being "flashy" is more of an HF Flyers meme than reality. Michkov has gotten a lot of Crosby comps as an elite grinder type of player, and from my limited viewings, I can see the similarities.I can't help but wonder if that might actually be something he and Torts agree on. Torts is an asshole about things, but it expresses itself as perfectionism, and having the team's most talented player also be a perfectionist who gets on people's ass when they screw up might be exactly what he wants (caveat: IF they agree on what is and is not a screwup.)
We can talk about TORTS valuing defense above all else, but I'd argue that motor is what really tickles his fancy. I don't think Michkov has a problem in that regard. It's why I think it's going to be really interesting seeing how the two of them get along. I certainly expect a few healthy scratches/demotions/benchings, because I don't think TORTS can help himself. But I really don't think Michkov will ever be close to one of his whipping boys. Not just because of his play, but if anything else, I think TORTS knows how to "play the game" and he knows that wouldn't end well for him.