Everyone can relax now: Matvei Michkov is back in Philadelphia.
After PHLY’s Anthony Gargano reported on Monday that the Flyers forward would be back in Philadelphia that night, Michkov and the team confirmed it with photographic evidence on Tuesday afternoon.
The boys are back in town. 📍 pic.twitter.com/SWW87oG2lC
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 1, 2026
Michkov is back on the ice in Voorhees with a bunch of his teammates. The Flyers also shared pictures of Dan Vladar, Rasmus Ristolainen, Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett, and Porter Martone working out at the Flyers Training Canter.
Michkov has been under a microscope since he set foot in North America two summers ago, which was already ahead of schedule. He started his NHL career with John Tortorella as his head coach, putting up 26 goals and 37 assists for 63 points in 80 games. The Russian forward certainly went through his ups and downs with Tortorella, and was disappointed in his rookie campaign.
“There were some difficulties but we’ll overcome them,” Michkov said in his end-of-season interview in 2025. “Truthfully there were moments in the season where I could’ve scored a lot more. I was not very happy with my result.”
He also said that he doesn’t like to play not enough minutes, and that if he were to play more minutes, he would feel more comfortable.
If only he knew what was coming when Rick Tocchet took over as the Flyers’ bench boss.
Michkov took a step back in his sophomore season, but still scored 20 goals and added 31 assists for 51 points. That’s not too shabby for a 21 year old, as he saw his average time on ice dip from 16:41 to 14:50 per game.
Of course, most of the talk regarding Michkov has centered around him coming into training camp out of shape last year, which is something that Tocchet seemingly never let go of throughout the season. Therefore, this summer has been a big one for Michkov.
Michkov’s big summer sets up crucial season
While putting up highlight-reel goals in some exhibition games in Russia, Michkov trained with some top players in his home country. The Flyers sent a trainer to Russia to help with Michkov’s offseason activities, as the youngster forewent vacation to focus on his workouts.
“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.”
“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.
Michkov knew that it was an important summer, and you can be sure he knows it’s going to be a crucial campaign as well.
It’s good to see Michkov and several of his teammates already back working out together. Rookie camp starts on Friday, Sept. 11 before the team opens the main training camp on Thursday, Sept. 17, just a few days before the preseason opener on Sept. 21.
