Philadelphia’s summer checklist still has a few big boxes to check, and Matvei Michkov sits near the top of the list.
After last offseason’s conditioning concerns turned into a season-long storyline - one that even led Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet to say publicly that Michkov did not arrive at training camp “in shape” - the winger is under real pressure to make this summer count. He’s heading into the final year of his entry-level contract, and the Flyers need him ready to go when camp opens.
There are signs Michkov is attacking the offseason differently. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reported that “Michkov had a trainer that he is comfortable working with - and whom the Flyers know - visit him in Russia for approximately three weeks last month.” Kurz also reported that Michkov is expected back in the Philadelphia area from Russia in early August so he can keep working and build toward training camp.
None of that guarantees anything once the games start, but it does suggest Michkov is trying to avoid a repeat of last summer’s mess.
Philadelphia also has another major item hanging over its offseason: a new deal for restricted free agent Trevor Zegras. The two sides are set for an arbitration hearing next Wednesday, and Kurz reported there is “nothing imminent” on an extension.
That process may have gotten a little trickier because of the Flyers’ recent $18MM AAV offer sheet for Anaheim Ducks RFA center Leo Carlsson. Philadelphia made it clear it is willing to pay a premium for a young No. 1 center, and while Zegras is not a perfect comparison to Carlsson, the Flyers did see enough from the 2019 No. 7 overall pick at center late last season to believe he can handle that role. They’re reportedly viewing Zegras as a center heading into training camp next month, and that could have pushed his asking price higher.
Elsewhere in the Metropolitan Division, Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Sergei Ivanov is not headed to North America just yet.
Ivanov, who recently signed an entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets, was initially expected to join the organization full-time next season. Instead, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports he will be loaned back to SKA St. Petersburg for one more season before making the move across the Atlantic next fall.
The 22-year-old put together a strong year with St. Petersburg in 2025-26, finishing with a .928 save percentage in 29 KHL games. The season before that, he posted a .911 save percentage in 38 games while playing behind a struggling HK Sochi team.
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Jett Luchankos Next Step Just Got More Complicated For Flyers
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Danny Briere Nearly Pulled Off The Flyers Swing Fans Have Wanted
The Flyers were at least in the conversation for one of the summers most intriguing young centers, and the details that have surfaced since make it sound like Danny Briere came closer to landing a major swing than most fans realized. Leo Carlssons agents, Matt and Ryan Keator, said Anaheims first proposal did not move them, in part because the rising NHL salary cap changed the way they had to evaluate the market and the players long-term value.
Carlssons camp also made clear this was never a one-team negotiation, with multiple clubs showing interest before an offer sheet arrived on July 1 and caught them off guard. The agents pointed to Connor Bedards eventual deal as a key benchmark in the process, which helps explain why they were willing to let the market sort itself out before deciding whether to commit. [Read more 🡒]