It’s all anyone can talk about just hours away from the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft: Where will the Russian phenom Matvei Michkov go in the first round.
Well, according to at least one reputable source, it seems like we know that Michkov will not go lower than seventh overall on Wednesday night.
In a short clip filmed by a Montreal Canadiens fan account and video content farm, Habs Fan TV, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was asked about some predictions about the first round of the NHL Draft.
“I think the big one is where Michkov goes and I think he’s rising,” Friedman said. “It used to be everyone didn’t think he would get past Washington, now people don’t think he will get past Philadelphia.”
With the Capitals hovering at eighth overall – right below the Flyers – the conclusion for months now is that they will swoop up Michkov, convince him and the KHL to allow him to come over to North America because he will get to play with Alex Ovechkin. If that is the dream scenario for Michkov and Caps fans, well, the Flyers might be ruining it.
As the talk around the draft has continued, the notion that the Flyers like Michkov and are willing to wait out the three years remaining on the young winger’s KHL contract, grew louder and louder. General manager Danny Briere has said that they are willing to take some time with this rebuild, but also outside of what he has directly said, now that the Flyers have a second first-round pick at 22nd overall – and even want a third – the risk of waiting on Michkov has decreased dramatically.
If seventh overall was their only selection in the first two rounds and they drafted Michkov, it might seem a little misguided for some – and horrible for risk-adverse NHL front offices. Now with more selections and possibly even more getting added before the first round on Wednesday night, taking an elite prospect like Michkov is an easier decision.
Michkov is certainly worth the wait, there is no doubt about that. He would be the No. 1 pick for more non-Bedard drafts. He has one of the highest floors and the highest ceilings of any player that will be taken this week with elite hands, a wicked shot, and plays that will dazzle even the non-hockey watcher. It has just been the geopolitical situation in Russia and the worry about work visas, combined with the contract that will keep him in the KHL through the 2025-26 season, that has made him drop in rankings.
But at least we have some reputable people saying that if he is available, the Flyers will most likely select him. If he is not available, then that simply means that one of Will Smith, Ryan Leonard, or another top-ranked prospect dropped right into Philadelphia’s lap. You can’t really be upset about that.
