Kevin Weekes is reporting that Matvei Michkov has asked the Flyers to trade him, and the news broke this afternoon.
The request, according to Weekes, is for a fresh start somewhere else. Nothing from Michkov, the team or general manager Daniel Briere is in hand yet, so treat it as a report for now.
It lands on a team already in a hole. The Flyers are 5-10-5 and sit 27th in the NHL, even after beating the Canucks 3-1 last night in Vancouver.
Michkov had an assist in that win and played 15:26. For a player who leads this team in goals, that is not a workload that screams franchise centerpiece.
Fans have been asking about that for days. We looked at Michkov's ice time under Rick Tocchet on Saturday, and the question was already loud before this report.
The 21-year-old has 10 goals and 14 points in 20 games, with five of those goals coming on the power play. He was taken seventh overall by Philadelphia in 2023.
What happens to Michkov's trade market now?
His contract is the first thing every GM will check. It is an entry-level deal worth under $1 million that expires this summer, and he will be a restricted free agent.
That cuts both ways. A team that acquires him gets the rights to negotiate his next deal, but Philadelphia also holds the cards on timing, and Briere has no reason to move a 10-goal scorer in a hurry.
Still, a player who wants out rarely changes his mind, and a team 21 goals in the red has bigger problems than one forward. The Flyers are minus-21 in goal differential, and they have given up 66 goals.
The coaching conversation is not going away either. Earlier this month, Flyers fans raised money for a plane and billboard demanding that Tocchet be fired.
My view: trading Michkov now would be selling at the wrong moment for the Flyers. Moving a young scorer during a slump in the standings, with an unhappy player and no clear return, is how a bad month turns into a lost year.
Philadelphia plays at Edmonton on Wednesday, and every camera will be on Michkov when he steps on the ice.
More to come.
Quick hits
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Dan Kingerski reports new lines after practice in Anaheim, with Nicholas Robertson getting a promotion.
Another injury may be looming, so keep an eye on the lineup.
-
ANAHEIM DUCKS: RotoWire reports Troy Terry is likely to play Wednesday against Nashville.
That would be his season debut, and the Ducks could use the help.
-
WINNIPEG RETURN: Connor Hellebuyck broke his silence in Winnipeg, hours before his Devils face the Jets.
He said things happened to his family that crossed the line. It's a heavy backdrop for this game.
-
LOS ANGELES KINGS: RotoWire lists Anton Forsberg as the starter tonight against the Predators.
Darcy Kuemper's status is still unclear, which leaves a few questions in the crease.
-
MINNESOTA WILD: Michael Russo reports Jared Spurgeon will come off injured reserve and return tonight in Montreal.
That is a welcome boost for the Wild blue line.
-
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Should the Flyers trade Matvei Michkov this season?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Crotty gets a fresh start in Vancouver after Wild cut him loose
