Matvei Michkov absolutely needs to hit the gas pedal soon—the Flyers’ offense is sputtering without him at full throttle, and it’s been a rough start to his sophomore season. Coming off a stellar rookie year where he lit it up with 26 goals and 63 points in 80 games (leading all first-year scorers in goals and earning a Calder finalist nod), the 20-year-old Russian wizard has just two points (one goal, one assist) through seven games in 2025-26.
Michkov’s ice time has dipped below 15 minutes in several outings, including a benching in the third period against the Wild last weekend, as coach Rick Tocchet pushes him to sharpen up on details like not cheating for breakaways and staying engaged defensively.
The buzz around Philly points to a couple factors dragging him down: an offseason ankle tweak that sidelined his summer training, plus he showed up to camp a bit out of shape from that. Tocchet’s been blunt about it, saying Michkov’s “a little bit behind the eight-ball” but fully healthy now, and the kid himself insists the injury isn’t an excuse—he’s just gotta grind through the rust.
The Flyers top brass aren’t hitting the panic button yet; they see flashes, like his neutral-zone setup on Travis Konecny’s tally against Seattle, and know his elite puckhandling and vision (that “never-say-die” creativity) will click once he dials in. Some posts on X are piling up with calls to “#FreeMatvei” from Tocchet’s short leash, gripes about his slower skating this year, and memes roasting the sophomore slump.
Today’s matchup against the New York Islanders could be a turning point—Michkov’s due for a multi-point explosion. If he channels that KHL sniper energy (where he dropped 41 points in 47 games as a teen), the Broad Street Bullies might just roar back to life. What’s your take—ankle hangover or just October blues?
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Definitely the ankle injury didn’t help, but I feel like he should have worked harder in the off-season to improve his speed and acceleration. He tends to drift around because it takes him a bit to get up to speed, so if he isn’t moving he is caught flat-footed. Not that worried about it long-term, because I believe he will become a better skater as he progresses. Just want him to be able to use his skills and vision yo effect the game and if he is skating at an average level it will allow him to make more things happen. Just my personal opinion.