It’s no secret that Matvei Michkov didn’t have the season he wanted to have with the Philadelphia Flyers. He saw a decrease in overall production, a decrease in minutes, and while he did have a solid post-Olympic break, all of that good play was washed away after eight forgettable games and two healthy scratches in the playoffs.
His name and what he is planning to do this summer to start next season on the right foot, was a massive topic of conversation at exit interviews on Tuesday. Michkov took accountability for his bad games and wasn’t hiding from any criticism. Naturally, later that same day while speaking with the established Flyers veterans, Michkov’s name was brought up again and the reaction from his teammates was to support him and help the public understand what the 21-year-old has had to deal with through the last two years.
Travis Konecny can’t imagine going through what Michkov has
Travis Konecny was asked by a reporter during his exit interview just how Michkov is fitting in with the Flyers, considering how much of a big deal the team dynamic is and every player supporting one another has been over the course of the season.
The veteran winger responded by just trying to put himself in Michkov’s shoes and really making it clear that anyone could be struggling in that position.
“I remember when I was his age, trying to find my way. It’s not easy,” Konecny said. “And I couldn’t imagine, with the language barrier, it’s probably not that easy. But he’s a guy that’s always putting in the work. He’s always in the shooting room, always on the ice, doing extra stuff. So that part of it’s there. It’s just trying to find where he’s comfortable — at dinner, wherever it is, to help him get to that next step. It takes time for some guys, you know?
“I couldn’t imagine going over and trying to understand Russian for two years. I’d be pretty lost at times too. But when he’s doing good things and he’s scoring goals and he’s making good plays, you just make sure you’re there to pat him on the back, say, ‘Hey, this is the good stuff. This is the stuff, you do this over and over. You’ll be a heck of a player.'”
Neither could we. To flip the roles and have any player who grew up playing in junior hockey either in Canada or the United States, then developed into a player to play college or pro and finally get to the NHL — now imagine doing it in a different language in a different culture and on a completely different continent away from most of your family. Other European players have gone through this, of course, but the language barrier does not make it easy, either.
But there is one thing that is certain and Michkov likes to put in the work. He was always seen as one of the first skaters on the ice for practice, and even in the areas of the Flyers Training Center where media weren’t allowed, Konecny saying that the 21-year-old was always in the shooting room and doing whatever extra stuff he can to get better, is such an encouraging sign.
And it might be a little thing but it is so good to see one of the most established players on this team coming to bat for Michkov and potentially taking him under his wing to do more.
Michkov was on the same line as Konecny for a large portion of his rookie year and while the two haven’t shared much of the ice together this season under Rick Tocchet, there is still support there.
Konecny wasn’t the only teammate to use some of his time in front of the media to talk at length about Michkov.
Travis Sanheim says Michkov has faced more pressure than anyone
Travis Sanheim was asked virtually the same question as Konecny — how Michkov potentially fits in with the rest of the Flyers off the ice, to see if there was some sort of divide here in between him and the team.
“Obviously, it’s been difficult with the language the last couple years. I think he’s gotten better and understands a lot more. So you can start to have more conversations with him and better conversations. Ones that you feel like you’re getting somewhere,” Sanheim said.
“Sometimes it’s difficult, you know, early on when you’re not sure he’s understanding exactly what you’re talking about but we’re continuing to grow and get better. It’s just as much as it is learning for him, it is for us too. Handling him and working with him. I think you saw throughout the season ups and downs from him personally. And I think it’s too be expected. He’s a young guy. We all went through what he’s gone through.
“The pressure that’s put on him is a lot higher than anyone else has had. I think just understanding that he’s just like anyone else. We’ve all been through struggles and good times and ultimately you can learn from those experiences and get better and work harder and ultimately, it’s going to make you a better player.”
That last point might be the strongest.
While Konecny and Sanheim both certainly dealt with some expectations as first-round draft picks, they were never seen as some potential top-line players that would set the NHL on fire. Michkov was heralded as maybe the best forward outside of the NHL at times — near the top or at the top of several prospect rankings before and after the Draft.
And while we were hesitant to expect much before his rookie season, scoring 63 points in his rookie year only set the bar higher than before. It wouldn’t have been crazy to think that he could be a point-per-game player that brings his overall impact to the game to a new level.
To then take a step back because of various reasons, it was a disappointment and even more so when we have seen better from the player in a different environment under a different coach.
The pressure, as Sanheim mentioned, was sky-high heading into this offseason and throughout the campaign. Now, it’s all about growth from this point and understanding that so many current stars in the league have gone through the hills and valleys of the first few seasons in the best hockey league in the world — and that’s regardless of what language they speak and how easy it is to communicate with them.
Hopefully we can see a killer offseason from Michkov and put all of this noise behind us.
