Matvei Michkov very well may be the steal of the 2023 NHL Draft after the young star was selected by the Philadephia Flyers with the No. 7 overall pick on Wednesday night — and he's already earning comparisons to one of soccer's greatest ever players.
“He should be happy to be a Flyer, it's an organization that's trying to retool, trying to add some young players, but when you add a player with the skillset that Matvei Michkov possesses, an elite striker, you heard me talk about him as a comparable to Lionel Messi,” TSN analyst Craig Button said on SportsCentre with Jay Ontrait on Wednesday.
“I think that Matvei Michkov on the hockey rink has those similar type of abilities to produce offense. He's excellent at spotting opportunities, he's looking and probing all the time, and then he's got that quick strike ability — great hands, great finishing ability.”
The Flyers are likely absolutely thrilled that the Russian sniper fell all the way to No. 7, and he's already drawing comparisons to Tampa Bay Lightning superstar winger Nikita Kucherov.
Although Michkov is signed in the Russian league for three more seasons, Button made it clear that he will be ready to produce for Philadelphia as soon as they are looking to get competitive again.
“Arguably, Matvei Michkov is the second best goal scorer in this draft after Connor Bedard,” Button continued. “You don't need him right away, you can let him grow, you can let your team continue to progress as he tries to make to the overall roster, but…with that skill, he can be a really significant difference maker for the Philadelphia Flyers in the future.”
Only time will tell if Michkov pans out as the elite prospect Daniel Briere and the franchise's front office hopes as they look to build a contending team for the first time since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2010.
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