The Philadelphia Flyers were hopeful to make the playoffs for the first time since 2019-20 this season. Part of those hopes were tied to the continued growth of Matvei Michkov. But Michkov has taken a step back in his sophomore campaign and has been the subject of criticism from head coach Rick Tocchet.
Now, it could be getting to a critical point, as Philadelphia brass might not be happy about the drama, as Sportsnet hockey insider Elliotte Friedman discussed on his 32 Thoughts podcast.
“Matvei Michkov is too important to the Flyers. And I understand, look, if he's showing up out of shape or he is late for treatment, those are issues the Flyers have to deal with, and Michkov has to be better at. But in this day and age, it's a two-way street. It's a two-way street. They have to say to Michkov, ‘Okay, this is what we were upset about. We demand you do better, but we're giving you a new slate to prove to us,'” Friedman said about the growing situation between Michkov and Tocchet.
The Flyers forward has seen his playing time decline recently. After averaging 16:41 of ice time in 2024-25, that is down to 14:32 this season, over two minutes fewer per game. He has also played under 13 minutes in four of the last seven games, including seeing the ice for just 10:21 in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
There had been rumors about Michkov being out of shape to start the year and missing treatment, but it is clear the issue is growing to a boiling point in the City of Brotherly Love.
“He’s too important, and you have to finish this season on an upswing. I can imagine the Flyers as an organization were unhappy with some of the commentary on the weekend. I think generally you like to keep that stuff in house,” Friedman continued.
Tocchet brought up more commentary about his sophomore player over the weekend at the Flyers Charities Carnival. There, he mentioned how it's difficult to “play yourself in shape,” while also hinting that playing time can be affected by that.
Michkov found the back of the net 26 times with 37 assists in his rookie campaign. This year, he has chipped in only 13 goals and 15 assists, on pace for nearly 20 fewer points. With Philly slowly falling out of playoff contention, they need to find a solution quickly.
The Flyers are now 24-20-10 on the season, placing them sixth in the Metropolitan Division, and seven points out of a playoff spot. After suffering four defeats in a row, they'll look to right the ship before the Olympic break when they host the Washington Capitals on Tuesday and Ottawa Senators on Thursday, respectively.
