Elliotte Friedman believes the Flyers have changed course with Matvei Michkov, and Wednesday's ice time against the Oilers is the proof.
Michkov played more than 20 minutes in Philadelphia's 3-2 overtime loss at Edmonton. For a winger whose name has been all over the trade rumor mill this week, that is a statement from the coaching staff.
Friedman said there is plenty beneath the surface in Philadelphia. "Like there's a lot going on there, a lot under the surface of now it's bubbled over to the surface," he said.
His read on what comes next is simple. "If the game the other night is any indication of how this is going to be handled, it's that they're going to play Michkov and they're going to say, OK, right now, what we have to do is make it so that this guy can't be complaining that we're not giving him the opportunities."
That would be a real shift in tone. Earlier today, Rick Tocchet's answer on the Michkov trade talk suggested the head coach has no appetite for entertaining a move.
The production is there to justify the minutes. Michkov has 10 goals and 15 points in 21 games this season, and five of those goals have come on the power play.
The minus-11 rating is the other side of the ledger, and it fits a team that has been outscored all season.
Is heavy ice time the Flyers' way of making peace?
It looks that way, and it's the right call. Philadelphia is 5-10-6 and sits 28th in the NHL with a goal differential of -22. A team with 47 goals for all season cannot bury a 21-year-old with 10 of them in the bottom six, or on a short leash.
Playing him big minutes also settles the argument on the ice. If he keeps producing, the Flyers hold the leverage in any conversation. If he doesn't, nobody can say he wasn't given the chance.
None of it means a trade is off the table. Friedman also offered a read on how general manager Daniel Briere sees the situation, which we covered in Friedman's report on the Flyers' likely stance on Michkov.
The next test is Saturday, when the Flyers visit Columbus. Whether Michkov sees another 20-plus minutes will show how firm this new approach really is.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
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