Matvei Michkov's minutes under Rick Tocchet: the numbers behind the debate

Matvei Michkov is leading the Flyers in goals, and fans are asking why Rick Tocchet keeps his ice time so low.

The conversation took off this week after a fan account pointed out that Michkov and Porter Martone rank among Philadelphia's top point producers but aren't getting the minutes to match. For a team sitting 30th in the NHL at 4-10-4, that's a fair question to ask.

Michkov has 10 goals and 13 points in 18 games, five of those goals on the power play. Reports put his average ice time around 15:53 to 15:56 per game, lower than several other Flyers forwards and the lowest among NHL players with at least 10 goals this season.

Martone is part of the same complaint. The sixth overall pick in 2025 has 8 points in 18 games, including three goals, and the posts raise his limited minutes alongside Michkov's.

Then there's the Instagram angle. About a month ago, during the Flyers' slow start, Michkov deleted posts from his account and possibly made it private, saying he wanted to focus on hockey.

It's unclear whether Michkov himself liked the new posts or someone from his camp did. Either way, it was read as a possible sign of frustration with his usage under Tocchet.

Why Michkov's minutes are now a Flyers problem

Tocchet's side of this is easy to find. Michkov carries a -11 rating, and managing defensive responsibilities is part of the coach's job when a team has allowed 61 goals.

Still, a 21-year-old who scores like this should be playing at least 18 minutes a night. Leaving your best finisher near 16 while the team struggles to score makes little sense, and the fan base has rallied around Michkov for exactly that reason.

The timing doesn't help Tocchet either. Flyers fans have already raised money for a plane and billboard against Rick Tocchet, and the coach was already irritated earlier in the week over Trevor Zegras's misconduct in the loss to the Wild.

The Flyers are 1-6-1 on the road and fell 3-2 at the Rangers on Thursday. Sunday's game in Calgary will show whether Michkov's minutes move at all.

Quick hits

ST. LOUIS BLUES: The Blues bring a 3-5-1 road record into Nashville tonight, and Logan Mailloux has just joined them there. They need to fix their road form fast.

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CAROLINA HURRICANES: The NHL's best team has an odd problem. The Hurricanes have been better away from Raleigh than at home, and they hit the ice at Lane Arena this morning before facing the Blackhawks.

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TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: John Tavares looks set to return tonight against the Canadiens, according to practice lines from Mark Masters. That's a welcome boost for the Leafs.

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WINNIPEG JETS: Kyle Connor and the Jets host the Lightning on Sunday, looking for a third straight win after beating Vancouver 6-2 on Thursday night.

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COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: Kent Johnson tied the game in Buffalo last night, but the Blue Jackets still lost 5-2 to the Sabres. Johnson is doing his part.

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