Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov didn’t just meet expectations in his first NHL season, he blasted right through them.
Yet inexplicably, there appear to be some people around the league who fail to recognize what the fans on Broad Street already know.
From the moment Michkov pulled on a Flyers sweater, he looked like a player already in full command of his game. Michkov led all rookies with 26 goals in 2024-25 and finished third with 37 assists in 80 games, but the real magic was in how efficiently he did it. With a points-per-60 rate of 2.83, Michkov not only topped Philadelphia, he was No. 1 among every member of the 2023 draft class – including Connor Bedard.
And Michkov’s offense wasn’t just a product of power-play padding. Even at five-on-five, Michkov was a constant threat, posting the highest even-strength points-per-60 rate among all rookies.
He scored in bunches, set up teammates with precision, and played with the kind of creativity that made defenders hesitate. The skill was undeniable, but so was the fearlessness. This was a teenager cutting through NHL traffic with the confidence of someone who had been doing it for years.
Matvei Michkov Snubbed by Calder Voting Despite Outperforming Rookie Peers
While concerns over his contractual status in the KHL led Michkov to fall to the Flyers at pick No. 7, pre-draft discussion pegged him as a legitimate rival to Bedard for the top spot, and Michkov is already proving to be worthy of the hype.
But somehow, when the Calder Trophy finalists were announced, Michkov’s name wasn’t called. He finished fourth in the voting and earned a spot on the NHL’s All-Rookie Team, but the hardware — and the spotlight that comes with it — went elsewhere.
For all the measurable ways Michkov outperformed his peers, recognition fell short. And to add another layer, Daily Faceoff’s projection of the top NHL players in 2030 didn’t include him either.
The omissions were glaring, the kind that don’t just get forgotten, but instead get stored away as fuel. The Hockey Writers, however, didn’t miss what was obvious.
In the site’s recent series naming a breakout candidate for each team in 2025-26, they named Michkov as Philadelphia’s selection. But more than that, a separate article from NHL insider Justin Giampetro labeled Michkov as the league’s top breakout star, period.
Matvei Michkov Selected as NHL’s Top Breakout Star for 2025-26
It isn’t too difficult to understand the prediction.
Consider that before Michkov debuted, only two teenage rookies since 2007–08 had ever posted at least 25 goals and 20 primary assists in a season: Auston Matthews and Elias Pettersson. Michkov matched that rare combination, slotting himself alongside a pair of players who went on to become franchise cornerstones.
Last year’s numbers were even more remarkable, considering a brutal 26-game stretch between December and early February where shooting percentages cratered and puck luck abandoned him. Even during that slump, his underlying metrics – from expected goals to shot creation – showed he was still generating high-quality chances. Outside that drought, his shooting and scoring rates returned to elite levels.
That’s the version the Flyers expect to see from the opening faceoff this season: the player who, with normal puck luck, almost certainly would have been a Calder finalist. The skill, vision, and finishing touch are already proven. The drive to show everyone who left him off those lists might be even sharper.
So a warning to the rest of the NHL that, if Michkov’s rookie campaign was a preview, this year could be the feature presentation.
Flyers Overlooked Star Poised to Make League Take Notice