A Matvei Michkov rumor is exactly the kind of thing that can send a fan base spinning, because the upside is obvious and the bill is the real conversation.
The report that the Philadelphia Flyers winger wants a fresh start has put the St. Louis Blues in a tricky spot. Michkov is the sort of talent who can alter an offense in a hurry, but any move to get him out of Philadelphia would almost certainly come with a massive price.
NHL insider Kevin Weekes said, based on multiple league sources, that Michkov "would likely want a new start elsewhere" amid Philadelphia’s slow start and internal issues. Weekes also noted that Michkov is in the final year of his contract and would be a prime trade candidate for the Flyers. But the reaction came quickly, with pushback saying no formal request had been made and that Weekes’ comment was news to the Flyers’ front office.
For St. Louis, the timing is awkward.
Jimmy Snuggerud just scored his 10th goal of the season Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings, and the Blues do not exactly look desperate for a top-line right winger right now. Still, the larger question hangs over everything: is Michkov good enough to make room for anyway?
The answer starts with the player himself. Michkov, 21, has 10 goals in 20 games this season and has piled up 56 goals and 128 points in 181 NHL games.
He’s a dangerous scorer, the kind of winger who can flip a game with one quick release. And for a Blues team that has bounced between explosive nights and stretches where the puck barely seems to get to the net, that kind of finisher is hard to ignore.
If St. Louis ever got serious, the return would be steep.
A realistic package could include former first-round picks Dalibor Dvorsky and Justin Carbonneau, along with multiple first-round selections. Carbonneau, taken 19th overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, scored 51 goals and 80 points in 60 QMJHL games last season.
His first season with Springfield has been slower, with three goals and six points in 13 games and a minus-7 rating.
That’s the kind of package that makes a front office stop and think. Nobody knows exactly where Carbonneau tops out, and that uncertainty is part of the reason a team would listen. But giving up a possible future second-line center, a first-round sniper, and multiple picks or prospects for one winger is a serious bet.
And the market would not be quiet. Philadelphia is 5-10-5, but it does not have to move Michkov.
Because he would be a restricted free agent, the Flyers would keep his rights and could drive the asking price up. Even setting a price doesn’t mean a buyer gets a bargain.
Just ask Dylan Larkin.
The Blues also have a path that doesn’t require surrendering assets. Dmitri Buchelnikov, 23, is already in the organization after being acquired from Detroit in the Justin Faulk trade.
He plays for CSKA Moscow in the KHL, and his production is moving in the right direction again after a strong 2024-25 season in which he scored 15 goals and 54 points in 65 games. An injury cut his previous year to 14 goals and 25 points in 44 games, but he is healthy now and on pace for 26 goals in 68 games this season.
With his KHL contract running through the rest of the season, the Blues could bring him over as soon as 2027-28.
Buchelnikov is not Michkov, of course. His 5-foot-10 frame is a fair question, and there’s always risk in projecting a KHL player to the NHL.
But the difference is obvious: one route costs picks, prospects and a new contract, while the other costs patience and a roster spot. It also fits a roster that already has Snuggerud on the top line and Carbonneau still developing in Springfield.
Then there’s the money. Trading for Michkov would only be the beginning, because the Blues would have to negotiate his next deal right away.
That would land on a payroll that already includes five forwards making $6.5 million or more. Snuggerud is in the final season of his entry-level contract at $950,000 and will be due a raise after this season.
Pavel Buchnevich is signed through 2030-31 at $8 million with a full no-trade clause, which only tightens the squeeze.
So yes, Michkov could change the Blues. But the cost to get him might reshape them even more. That’s the real hurdle here, and it’s why the price would have to be right.
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Jim Montgomery has made it plain that Dvorskys development will be measured against the pace and detail the Blues expect from their forwards, which is why this latest benching carries more weight than a routine lineup decision. The organization still believes in where his game can go, but the path forward is starting to look more demanding, and how Dvorsky responds now will matter just as much as the promise that brought him here. [Read more 🡒]
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The Blues do have other young wingers pushing for ice time, which only adds to the pressure on Neighbours to steady his production. Even so, none of those options appears ready to simply take his spot, so his role remains important for a team that still needs him to be more than just a hard-nosed presence. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Slump Is Putting Cam Fowlers Role Under Real Pressure
The Blues skid has pushed the conversation around the blue line into sharper focus, and Cam Fowler is right in the middle of it. St. Louis has slipped near the bottom of the division and conference standings, and while Fowlers underlying numbers have held up better than the eye test might suggest, his overall impact has not matched the expectations that came with his arrival.
That leaves the coaching staff weighing a difficult balancing act as it looks for ways to steady the defense. Logan Mailloux and Adam Jiricek are part of the mix the Blues can turn to, but Fowlers place in the lineup is not a simple matter of performance alone, which is why this situation feels bigger than one rough stretch. The next move on the back end could say a lot about how aggressively St. Louis is willing to reshape things while the losses keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]