A startling report out of Philadelphia has put Matvei Michkov’s future with the Flyers in the spotlight.
On Tuesday, Kevin Weekes reported that the Flyers forward would welcome a trade and a chance to start over somewhere else, with Weekes also calling him a prime trade candidate moving forward. In his post, Weekes cited multiple league sources and pointed to Philadelphia’s unimpressive start and internal turmoil as part of the backdrop.
Emily Kaplan then added that the Flyers were surprised by the report and that Michkov has not formally asked for a trade.
These rumors surfaced one day after Michkov and teammate Nick Seeler appeared to be in a heated on-ice argument during a game, with both players clearly yelling at each other.
The trade chatter around Michkov is not new. Fans have been talking for some time about whether he is being underused by head coach Rick Tocchet, and speculation about a possible move or a fresh start has been circulating on social media for a couple of seasons.
On the ice, Michkov has produced 10 goals and four assists for 14 points in 20 games this season while averaging 15:54 of ice time. For his career, he has played 181 games and posted 56 goals and 72 assists for 128 points, a 0.71 points-per-game pace.
Even with no formal trade request on the table yet, the idea that Michkov could be open to moving on is now out there, and it immediately raises the question of which teams would try to get involved.
A few obvious names come up first: the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins. But each comes with a catch.
The Oilers don’t have the assets to match what other interested teams could offer. The Maple Leafs may not have the cap space or the pieces to handle an extension.
The Bruins have the assets and cap room, but they could still be outbid by other suitors.
The Montreal Canadiens also fit into the conversation. They have been linked to a number of big-name players while trying to add help for a deep playoff push, including Kirill Marchenko and Matthew Knies. Montreal has Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky as top prospects who could be part of a deal, along with plenty of draft capital and a deep prospect pool.
The Seattle Kraken are another club that makes sense as a possible player. They tried to land Jason Robertson from the Dallas Stars this offseason and could again be willing to spend heavily for a potential star.
For now, it remains a situation to monitor. If Michkov really is open to a trade, plenty of teams would line up to ask about him - and the Flyers would be in position to demand a massive return.
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