Matvei Michkov spent much of his offseason back in Russia, but the Flyers winger hasn’t exactly been taking it easy.
The 2023 first-round pick has been putting in work on multiple fronts, and his social media has shown plenty of it: workouts with fellow Russian NHL players, including Artemi Panarin, plus a short stretch training with an unidentified Flyers coach. In a new interview with RG.org, Michkov laid out what he took from last season and how he’s attacking the months before training camp.
“What did I learn from last season? That you need to prepare well for the season, not treat it carelessly,” Michkov said.
“There was no vacation at all, because an important season is ahead. I need to play well, I want that myself.
So I need to keep my body in shape at all times.”
That message lines up with the kind of offseason routine he described. Michkov said Philadelphia sent a coach to oversee his preparation, and the work came fast and hard over a two-week window.
“Philadelphia sent a coach to oversee my preparation for the start of next season. We worked for two weeks, doing three practices a day,” Michkov said.
“In the morning there was the gym, a strength workout, then we'd go to the ice, and in the evening there was another session - for physical conditioning. Unfortunately, the coach didn't have that much time, so he wanted to fit everything into two weeks.”
He also said he’s paying closer attention to nutrition, another area Tocchet had referenced publicly.
“It's important to eat right so you have the energy for training and recovery,” Michkov said. “All great players come to this sooner or later. So I have to stick to it too.”
For now, Michkov is still in Russia, where his offseason cycles are ongoing. He said he expects to head back to America around early August.
“My training in Russia is still ongoing. There are certain cycles, and once they're done, I'll fly to America,” Michkov said. “I want to get a bit more preparation done there, so I can start the season well and play well."
Michkov also touched on a couple of other Philadelphia headlines. He congratulated Trevor Zegras on his new deal and called him a strong player, adding that “you could say the whole team is now basically built around him."
And when the conversation turned to LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, Michkov made it clear he’s excited about that too.
"This is just great. I love basketball, and the fact that LeBron signed in Philadelphia means a lot,” Michkov said.
“I think for the city itself, and for me too. Now it'll be even more interesting to go to games and watch a player that great perform.
"If they win, I think all of Philadelphia will be happy. We'll be supporting them."
Michkov and the Flyers are set to open training camp on Sept. 17. The regular season starts less than two weeks later, on Sept. 30, when Philadelphia hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins in a rematch of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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