Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere pushed back hard Wednesday on a report suggesting Matvei Michkov wanted out of Philadelphia, saying neither the winger nor his agent ever asked for a trade.
Briere addressed the issue while traveling with the Flyers for their game against the Edmonton Oilers, and he made it clear the organization had not received any such request. Hours before puck drop, he said the report was wrong and that the story did not come from Michkov or his camp.
“No, that’s the disappointing part. The report was not correct,” he said.
“Matvei said it wasn’t from him. He never said anything about that.
He doesn’t know where it came from, who it was from, and we also spoke to his agent and he swears that it wasn’t from him, either.
“I don’t know what else to tell you guys,” he continued. “It’s really easy to just make up anything you want. It’s unfortunate, but this is the stuff, I guess, we have to deal with nowadays.”
The denial came after ESPN hockey insider Kevin Weekes reported Tuesday that Michkov “would likely want a new start elsewhere.” But Sportsnet’s Frank Seravalli reported Wednesday that Briere has no plans to move the 21-year-old winger.
“This is all news to me … we’ve never discussed that.” Briere told Seravalli.
“He’s got so much ahead of him that we’re all really excited about. He’s going in the right direction and it’s exciting to see what he can do already.”
Michkov entered Wednesday’s game with 10 goals and four assists for 14 points in 20 games this season, while averaging 15:54 of ice time. In his third NHL season, the Russian winger has totaled 56 goals and 72 assists for 128 points in 181 career regular-season games.
As a rookie in 2024-25, Michkov produced 26 goals and 37 assists for 63 points, earned a spot on the NHL’s All-Rookie team and finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting.
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Matvei Michkov Rumors Put The Flyers' Future In Question
Rumors around Matvei Michkov have started to swirl at an awkward time for the Flyers, with speculation building around the young forwards long-term future in Philadelphia. The chatter has centered on whether he might want a fresh start, even as both Michkov and the team have tried to tamp down the noise and keep the focus on hockey rather than the rumor mill.
What makes this worth watching is the timing. Michkovs restricted free agent status gives the situation an added layer of intrigue, and the discussion has only grown louder because of questions about the Flyers direction. For a franchise trying to shape its next chapter, any uncertainty around a player with Michkovs profile is bound to draw attention, even if the next move remains unclear. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers May Be Eyeing A Buy Low Move With Blackhawks
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Flyers Tried To Shut Down A Damaging Matvei Michkov Rumor
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Briere still framed Michkov as part of the organizations future, even as he declined to get into contract extension talk. The Flyers have been trying to steady the conversation around one of their most important young players, and for now the message from the front office is simple enough: when there is something real to report, they will say so. [Read more 🡒]