Flyers’ General Manager Danny Brière has strongly denied reports that Matvei Michkov wants a trade or a fresh start elsewhere.
On Tuesday (November 10, 2026), ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported that Michkov would likely prefer a fresh start elsewhere amid the Flyers’ poor start to the season and “internal turmoil.” The report followed a visible heated exchange between Michkov and teammate Nick Seeler on the bench during a game in Vancouver.
Brière addressed the situation multiple times on Wednesday. Speaking after the GM meetings and later via Zoom (after meeting with Michkov in Edmonton), he called the report “not correct” and said it did not come from the player or his camp:
- “That’s the disappointing part; the report was not correct when speaking to Matvei and his agent [Paul Theofanous]… Matvei said it wasn’t from him. He never said anything about that. He doesn’t know where it came from… And we also spoke to his agent, and his agent swears that it wasn’t from him either.”
- Earlier: “No, that’s not the plan at all. We’ve never discussed that.” and “This is all news to me.”
Brière reiterated that the organization views Michkov as “part of the solution for the future” and a key long-term piece, while noting that one player alone does not win in hockey. He also downplayed the bench argument as normal competitive frustration on a struggling team.
Flyers’ Head Coach Rick Tocchet separately called the report “not true,” and Michkov himself said he was happy in Philadelphia (“Yeah, of course”), does not follow the news closely, and is focused on games. Michkov leads the Flyers with 10 goals (tied for the team lead in points) despite the team’s rough 5-10-5-ish start.
No formal trade request has been received by the Flyers, according to the team and subsequent reporting. Michkov is in the final year of his entry-level deal and will be a restricted free agent next Summer.
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