Another clip of Matvei Michkov in a heated exchange on the Flyers bench has surfaced, and this time it's Travis Konecny on the other end.
It follows the earlier video of Michkov and defenseman Nick Seeler. Two clips, two different teammates, one 21-year-old at the center of both.
What was said in either exchange isn't known. Heated words on a bench happen in every NHL building, and they usually disappear by the next shift.
But the timing makes this one harder to wave away. Philadelphia lost 2-3 in overtime at Edmonton last night, with Michkov picking up an assist in 20:44 of ice time while Konecny went without a point on five shots.
The Flyers sit 28th in the NHL at 5-10-6, and frustration in a locker room that is losing more than it wins rarely stays quiet.
Michkov has been the subject of trade chatter for days now. Rick Tocchet and the young forward both answered questions about Michkov's happiness in Philadelphia on Wednesday, hours before the Edmonton game.
Is Matvei Michkov being picked on in Philadelphia?
That's how these two clips read to a lot of fans, and it's hard to argue with the instinct. One video can be competitive emotion. Two videos with two different veterans start to look like a pattern.
Michkov isn't hiding behind his play, either. He has 10 goals and 15 points in 21 games, with five of those goals on the power play. The -11 rating on a team with a -22 goal differential tells you he is not the only one struggling to keep the puck out of the Flyers' net.
Konecny is a respected veteran, and Seeler is a 33-year-old defenseman who plays a physical, no-nonsense game. A young scorer who is producing should not be the one absorbing the room's frustration. If that's what is happening, the Flyers have a leadership problem on top of a standings problem.
The contract adds another layer. Michkov is on an entry-level deal with a cap hit under $1 million that expires after this season, and he would be a restricted free agent. Chris Johnston's warning about Michkov's Flyers future only adds to the sense that the situation is getting more uncomfortable.
Philadelphia plays at Columbus on Saturday, with a 2-6-3 road record to fix. Every camera in the building will be pointed at the Flyers bench.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
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