After being scratched in the first two games for St. Petersburg SKA, his Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) club, it was announced by MatchTV that Philadelphia Flyers’ prospect Matvei Michkov will make his 2023-24 season debut on Sept. 6. His current situation should not be concerning. Even if it might not be an ideal one, it is still an operable one.
Michkov’s Scratching Is Nothing to be Alarmed About
For many young players in the KHL, it is difficult to find consistent ice time. For an 18-year-old, this difficulty is especially apparent. While Michkov certainly boasts the potential to be one of the best players in the entire league, he is also very young and inexperienced. Only playing 30 games last season between Sochi HC and St. Petersburg, he set records for a draft-year player, scoring nine goals and 11 assists in his 30 contests. He has room for growth, but has not yet proven that he can be an elite player for SKA, where he struggled to see any ice and was held scoreless in the three games he played with the club.
No matter what Michkov does, he will probably be scratched quite often. This has much less to do with his supposed bad attitude and much more to do with how things are run with SKA. He will likely miss a few games here and there, but as he grows older this should happen less. This is something that the Flyers will have to deal with for quite a bit, but this was also known heading into the 2023 NHL Draft where the team selected him with the seventh-overall pick. It will certainly be frustrating to see him rot on the bench, but it is a reality in the KHL. In the NHL, young players learn that opportunities will never simply be handed to them. The young Flyers’ prospect will learn this time and time again, even if he earns it. At the very least, this is beneficial for personal growth.
Michkov’s Ice Time Will Be Limited Yet Manageable
When he plays, Michkov will likely have a limited role to start out. When he played in the preseason for his club, he experimented at the center position and played fourth-line minutes for SKA. He didn’t complain, but simply embraced the role, scoring two goals and three assists for five points in just four games. He did this with an average of just 13:42 of ice time per game. Clearly, he can shine when given the opportunity.
Related: Flyers’ Matvei Michkov Will Be an Immediate Star in the NHL
If he was limited in ice time in the preseason, the same will probably occur in the regular season. That won’t necessarily be a bad thing, as the fourth lines are usually matched up with one another. Michkov will continue to dominate playing against the less elite competition in the KHL, but will eventually start playing against tougher competition. While the NHL and KHL are hard to compare, this rationale works with Detroit Red Wings forward Daniel Sprong, who put up exceptional numbers despite limited ice time with the Seattle Kraken last season. The main reason for this was that he was playing against other bottom-six lines.
Realistically, Michkov could be ready to play against top lines right now. It will also be helpful to see him hone his skills. There are both pros and cons to his situation, but the fact that there is anything positive at all should be a sigh of relief for fans of the Orange and Black.
What to Expect of Michkov in Debut
If Michkov is given similar ice time to what he saw in the preseason, that should be more than enough to see him flourish in his first regular season game in 2023-24. It would be nice to see him score a goal or two, but just seeing him adjust and find his rhythm will be what is most important. If he can control play and be a noticeable threat on the ice, he is doing exactly what he is supposed to, regardless of whether he is held scoreless or not. The KHL is one of the better leagues in the sport of hockey, so the competition is no joke. With his team holding a 2-0 record on the season, the youngster will look to help his club stay undefeated in any way he can.
Michkov is already a stud despite only being a teenager. The process will be tedious, but he will get enough playing time to develop, and he will be in a situation to succeed. How he overcomes his early battles to make the NHL will be a spectacle, but also interesting to watch.