As was heavily foreshadowed here at The Hockey Writers, Matvei Michkov is having an incredible season. With 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points in 25 games (and a plus-2 rating), he is the top rookie in the NHL. Not only that, but he’s one of the most productive teenagers we’ve ever seen.
The problem? Recently, he hasn’t been getting a lot of ice time. He deserves more minutes in general and especially in big moments for the betterment of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Michkov Has Generational Production, Yet Is Playing Second-Fiddle
No, the term “generational” is not an exaggeration here. Below are the five best teenage scoring seasons in points per 60 minutes since 2007-08, as of Michkov’s 25th NHL contest. The only requirement here is 200 minutes of ice time:
| Player | Season | Points Per 60 | Average Ice Time |
| Connor McDavid | 2016-17 | 3.46 | 21:08 |
| Connor McDavid | 2015-16 | 3.39 | 18:53 |
| Steven Stamkos | 2009-10 | 3.39 | 20:33 |
| Matvei Michkov | 2024-25 | 3.38 | 17:09 |
| Auston Matthews | 2017-18 | 3.36 | 18:08 |
Taking a pause for a moment, how incredible is that? This isn’t some cherry-picked stat—it’s just point production. Michkov may have been taken seventh overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, but he’s in the mix with the clear-cut rewards of their respective classes. No doubt about it, he’s a special hockey player.
But the special hockey player is going to need special minutes to maximize his effectiveness. While 17:09 of average ice time is the lowest on that list, it’s not by a significant amount, you may be thinking. What has been really jarring is his recent usage. Over his past four games, he has reached the 15-minute mark in none of them. Despite being terrific in those contests (three goals, four assists), he hasn’t gotten on the ice.
It’s hard to argue this is to his benefit, or the team’s, for that matter. On Dec. 5, he had three assists in the second period versus the Florida Panthers, only to get 4:12 of usage in a final frame that saw the Flyers cough up both their slim lead and, promptly, the game-winning goal. Against the Boston Bruins on Dec. 7, he had two markers in the opening period but saw 11:13 of ice time following the first intermission. The Flyers lost, sacrificing the 2-0 lead he built up.
Related: Bruins’ Trent Frederic Strikes Twice in 4-3 OT Win vs. Flyers
When Michkov has created a lead recently, he hasn’t gotten the chance to expand on it. In both cases, the Flyers collapsed—all-out protection mode has failed them twice in a row now. When what should have been four standings points turns into one, nobody is happy. Nobody gains anything from that. You could argue that is directly because of how tame Michkov’s ice time has been.
Let’s put it this way. Through Dec. 7, only Matthew Tkachuk, Jesper Bratt, Jack Hughes, and Michkov had at least seven points in their team’s last three games. However, the rookie did it in just 42:52 of ice time, which is nearly 15 minutes less than the aforementioned stars. Michkov is playing Ryan Poehling minutes (actually, less in that span)—it’s just not enough.
Flyers’ Refusal to Use Michkov When Leading Is Costing Them
Here’s a fun stat. In the 5-on-5 minutes where the Flyers have led by one goal this season, Michkov is only ninth among forwards in ice time (56:37). Certainly, that’s because he’s costing them defensively, lacking the discipline to close out games, right? It might surprise you, but no. Quite the opposite is going on, actually.
Below are the Flyers’ numbers in four key statistics at 5-on-5 when they’re leading games by one goal. The second column displays Michkov’s numbers in those situations, while the final column shows the Flyers’ numbers without him. It’s a stark difference:
| Stat (5-on-5) | Michkov’s Numbers | Non-Michkov Numbers |
| Corsi Percentage (CF%) | 53.54% | 42.25% |
| Shots Percentage (SF%) | 60.00% | 49.73% |
| Expected Goals Percentage (xGF%) | 62.04% | 43.44% |
| Goals Percentage (GF%) | 60.00% | 26.67% |
When Michkov is patrolling the ice in those up-by-one moments, the Orange and Black are doing quite alright at 5-on-5. They’re outplaying their foes pretty convincingly and have a plus-1 rating to show for it (three goals scored, two goals allowed). On the flip side, it’s been a disaster when Michkov has been warming up the bench. Without him, the Flyers have been outscored 11-4, letting their competition tilt the ice when hanging onto those delicate advantages.
Philadelphia’s go-to in these tight games is to hunker down and play defensive hockey until they come away with the win. That might have been the smartest course of action last season, but Michkov is here now. Barring an injury, he’s already on pace to beat the team’s top point-scoring season of the 2020s (68 by Travis Konecny in 2023-24). When you have an offensive weapon of this magnitude, he can increase leads. Rather, in their last two games, the Flyers insisted on conserving whatever he was able to put on the board, ironically losing when all was said and done.
Flyers Benefit from a Michkov Usage Boost
The numbers overwhelmingly suggest that, if the Flyers want to win games, they need to put Michkov on the ice as much as possible. This goes for all situations, too. Whether they’re trailing, tied, or leading, he should be playing. A logical defense here is that, while it’d be nice to get Michkov out there more often, he’s a rookie who isn’t used to the workload of an 82-game season.
However, Macklin Celebrini, Michkov’s direct rival for the Calder Trophy, played just 38 games at Boston University last season. Despite playing less hockey than Michkov did in 2023-24, he has averaged over two more minutes of per-game ice time in the NHL. He hasn’t been iced for under 15 minutes in a single contest, let alone four in a row, either.
Michkov is scoring points at the same rate Connor McDavid, Steven Stamkos, and Auston Matthews did when they were teenagers. It’s easier to put pucks in the back of the net today, of course, but what he is doing is unprecedented nonetheless. Considering the Flyers are better with their rookie sensation on the ice, perhaps he should get a few more laps in.
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick (unless indicated otherwise)
