The main storyline that has weaved its way through the entire Philadelphia Flyers season is what is going on with Matvei Michkov. After having a stellar rookie season, the 21-year-old winger has taken a step back in his second NHL season — the reasons why have been spoken about to death, but the main concern among the Flyers fan base is the relationship between the player and head coach Rick Tocchet.
Michkov showed up to training camp out of shape, that’s unfortunately a fact, but now the handwringing through the city of Philadelphia is caused by worrying that him doing that has now set back their relationship so far that the coach just won’t give the young Russian the minutes he deserves.
Anyways, that’s been talked about a whole lot all season long and the conversation is tiring.
But at practice Tuesday morning, the day before the Flyers restart their season against the Washington Capitals, Michkov spoke with the media for the first time since early December and addressed several things.
Michkov on his relationship with Flyers coach Rick Tocchet
Maybe the most important takeaway from the conversation Michkov had with the media, is that he made it clear that he does not have a bad relationship with Tocchet. Although, according to PHLY’s Charlie O’Connor, he did not say it was a great relationship, but just denied any true conflict between them. Michkov didn’t go further, but just stated that there was truly no bad blood.
“Very common relationship between player and head coach. Everybody has the same goal — the coaches and players – to win. So we’ve been working that way,” Michkov said.
But, he did touch on just how Tocchet has been deploying him lately and the perceived issue that he is not being given enough ice-time.
“I’ll play as much time as I’ve been given, and I have to do my job. That’s the only thing I care about,” Michkov said. “The way (the coach) plays me, that’s the way he decided to play me. I’m a player, and I have to concentrate 100 percent on what I’ve been doing at the moment.”
Notably, Tocchet has made the switch from Michkov playing on his off-wing on the right (where he has been for his entire career) to the left, in an effort to play more of a north-south game and for him to play slightly faster. While it feels a little backwards and it is visible on the ice how uncomfortable Michkov feels in the offensive zone on the left side, the 21-year-old is going to try to persist and make it work.
"For me, on the right, I can create a lot more moments. Now I have to switch everything to the left, and do the same thing."
— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) February 24, 2026
“I was always playing the right. I was always there. Now I’m playing on the left. It’s a new role. If the coaches see me there, I have to adapt as quick as I can. For me, on the right, I can create a lot more moments. Now I have to switch everything to the left, and do the same thing,” he said via PHLY’s Charlie O’Connor.
That certainly feels like someone begrudgingly trying to make something productive but doesn’t feel like it’s the best choice. Michkov’s competitiveness will prevent him from truly giving in or giving excuses for his underperformance, but there is an understanding that it is going to be difficult and something he has to learn.
What did Michkov do during the Olympic break?
Moving on, some have pondered that the Olympic break will only do Michkov good. We all saw it last year that after the break caused by the 4 Nations Face-Off was a jumping off point for the young winger and he finished the season on a massive heater, scoring points at will.
But what’s different between the breaks is the length, and Michkov approached them differently.
“The last year after the 4 Nations was not too long of a break, so I was just resting,” Michkov said. “This time, I was not planning to rest. I was not happy with the way the game (was) going, so I was working the entire break. … My emotions depend on hockey, how the hockey goes, and that’s why I decided to work to set up the rest (of the season).”
And work he did. While spending time down in the Dominican Republic, enjoying the sun and avoiding the cold in Philadelphia, he didn’t just kick his feet up with a cocktail. As reported by The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz, Michkov brought a personal trainer down to his vacation spot and on Tuesday dove more into the details of his training.
“I was training every day. I was not resting there. Two training (sessions) a day. First one was the gym, second was conditioning and stamina. Seven days of the same training.”
That’s what you want to hear and we’re sure the Flyers coaching staff and front office loved that as well.
It’s a vast difference compared to how he spent this past summer. Admitted by Michkov himself, he wasn’t on the ice last summer and didn’t have any hockey-related training but was just training in general. It was four months of not really playing hockey, and that is a mistake that Michkov won’t be making again.
Michkov also touched on his overall feelings about this season. While his 29 points in 55 games isn’t abnormal for a 21-year-old former first-round pick, watching him score 26 goals and 63 points in his first taste of North American hockey last season makes this year’s lack of production difficult to swallow.
"You have to be smart when you’re training in the break, don’t (suffer) an injury, but training must go."
— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) February 24, 2026
“There’s nothing new in (the) NHL. The NHL is hard work. If you take a four-months break, it can reflect (in) your game. You have to concentrate on hockey all the time, and you cannot take even a month of break. … You have to be smart when you’re training in the break, don’t (suffer) an injury, but training must go.”
It’s a tough balance — just how hard do you want to train in the middle of the season, when you know how much the rest of your season matters? We’ll find out just how much what Michkov did during the Olympic break can push him to his former level and if he can look more like the dominant young winger we saw a year ago.
The Flyers get back in action for the first of their 26 remaining games this season, visiting the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night. If Michkov scores a couple goals, we’re going to absolutely freak out.
