Almost every single Philadelphia Flyers fan is heading into next season with some sort of anxiety. It can be about how the team did not make any obvious upgrades over last season’s roster and now they’re heading into a more competitive Eastern Conference. The Flyers might even end up not being favored to be even close to making the playoffs.
While that is a genuine concern, it doesn’t match the level of anxiety that we all have when it comes to what Matvei Michkov is going to look like at training camp and in the first few games of the season.
This summer was a massive one for Michkov after he had an unfortunate start to his sophomore season. The lack of preparation put him behind his teammates and he never really recovered until the remarkable season-ending run to the playoffs, where he was the Flyers’ leading scorer. But in the playoffs, he scored just one assist and eight games, making it even more obvious that he will need to put a lot of work in this offseason not only for his success, but potentially when it comes to what his next contract could look like, since he is heading into the final year of his entry-level deal.
In an exclusive interview with RG.org, Michkov really revealed all the little details about how his training went and even when he is expecting to come back to Philadelphia before camp.
Michkov worked hard this summer, will return to Philadelphia soon
Before he left the Flyers, Michkov didn’t provide much detail about what his summer is going to look like. The only thing he was focusing on is that he is going to work hard. We’ve already seen all the workout videos and him showing off in a charity game, but what else is he working on?
Michkov said that basically, he’s not resting at all. No vacation or time off, in order to make his third NHL season his best one yet.
“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,” Michkov said via RG. “What did I learn from last season? That you need to prepare well for the season, not treat it carelessly.”
How exactly is he preparing? The Flyers, according to Michkov and other reports, sent over an unamed coach to guide the 21-year-old into having the most productive couple of weeks he could and set him up for the remainder of the summer.
“Philadelphia sent a coach to oversee my preparation for the start of next season. We worked for two weeks, doing three practices a day. 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,” Michkov said, via RG.
That seems like some two weeks.
Since then, Michkov has been seen training with other NHL stars like Mikhail Sergachev and Artemi Panarin, in the workout group organized by the Los Angeles Kings winger. And it is Panarin that Michkov is hoping to absorb some knowledge from and take into next season.
“You can learn everything from Artemi — from passing to shooting. I think you can take a lot from Panarin. It definitely won’t hurt,” he said.
If Michkov can reach some of the heights that Panarin has had throughout his career, then it will be outstanding news for the Flyers. He’s simply one of the most dangerous wingers on the planet when he’s on his game and more notably, a suburb power-play threat — something Michkov could also turn into one day.
But now his time in Russia is coming to an end. After playing in the “Match of the Year” charity game on Saturday, there are no commitments that will keep him overseas, other than just enjoying time with his friends and family, of course. Michkov plans to continue his workouts in Russia for the time being and when that is done, he will head to Philadelphia.
“My training in Russia is still ongoing. There are certain cycles, and once they’re done, I’ll fly to America.”
As noted by the interview on RG, there is not a specific date that Michkov will pop up in Voorhees, but it is expected to be in the early days of August.
Michkov excited about LeBron signing in Philadelphia
On a lighter note, Michkov also got the chance to comment on another star coming to the city. LeBron James signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, and it was confirmed early Monday, but the 21-year-old winger got to put his thoughts of one of the biggest sports figures on the planet playing in the same building he does.
“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.”
We’ve already seen some Flyers-Sixers connections earlier this year, as Denver Barkey and Porter Martone rang the bell before one of the playoff games. And now, we might see Michkov head-to-toe in Sixers gear courtside cheering LeBron (and some other guys, I guess) on as they compete in this pressure-filled season.
Maybe Michkov can soon call a LeBron-esque hockey player his teammate. Just maybe.
The Flyers start training camp on September 17, and will be hosting their rookie camp the week prior. In just over six weeks, we’ll actually have hockey things to talk about. Until then, we’re just waiting for Michkov to come back.
