The Philadelphia Flyers season ended in a round two defeat at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes this past weekend after a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 4 at home. The Flyers are the second team to get swept by the Hurricanes in this postseason, joining the Ottawa Senators.
Overall, this was a solid season for Philadelphia as they made a surprise playoff run with low expectations heading into the season. They even won a series, ousting their archrival Pittsburgh Penguins in round one.
However, the year was not without its negatives. The biggest one is the handling of star player Matvei Michkov as the 21-year old Russian forward struggled in his sophomore season.
Matvei Michkov’s Flyers Future in Doubt
Michkov did not have the year two he wanted after a strong rookie campaign in the season prior. After a 24-25 season that saw Michkov amass 26 goals and 37 assists in 80 games, he regressed for just 20 goals and 31 assists in 81 games this year.
Sophomore slumps are not uncommon in the NHL. Michkov is a talanted player with high potential who can easily turn it around. But, the fashion in which his season went about is concerning. This is especially the case with the way it ended.
In the playoffs, Michkov’s game went cold with just one assist in eight games. He was scratched twice by coach Rick Tocchet, including their last elimination game. And when Michkov did play, he would be lucky to crack 10 minutes a night.
This was peculiar usage of such an important organizational player by Tocchet. While Michkov did not perform well in the postseason, he was also not put in a position to succeed. As a result, the rumor mill has begun to swirl regarding the future of Michkov with the franchise.
Insider Elliotte Friedman has chimed in on the rumors surrounding the Michkov situation in Philadelphia: “It’s very obvious to me that there is a problem. I think he’s way too young to give up on, unless there’s something going on that’s so bad that I don’t know about.”
Michkov Needs a Bounce Back Season
Philadelphia is building a strong group that includes the likes of Michkov, Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, Trevor Zegras, Tyson Foerster and Porter Martone up front on offense.
Year three will be a important one for Michkov to show that he is a core piece of the Flyers pipeline that the team should lock up as a long term piece following the conclusion of his entry level contract.
Michkov should be a player the franchise prioritizes when it comes to his development, which is what makes his limited deployment during this postseason questionable. With that said, Michkov also has to play better.
It will be important for Michkov to have a good offseason and enter next season ready to go. Tocchet criticized him for coming into this past training camp out of shape.
This is a player with too much skill to prematurely move on from for Philadelphia. But, it is up to Michkov to put these questions to bed and get back to the form he showed in his rookie season.
Matvei Michkov Future With Philadelphia in Question After Disappointing Playoff Run