A twist of fate and a surprise arrival of Matvei Michkov in the NHL this season? That's exactly what has just been suggested

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David St-Jean
September 17, 2023 (5:58 PM)

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Matvei Michkov is not having a great start to the season in Russia. The Philadelphia Flyers' first-round pick from the last draft has been scratched three times in his team's first four games with SKA St. Petersburg and has been loaned to another KHL team, Sochi HC.

But I'm not here to talk about the issues or the young man's attitude because, as reported by Keven Mawn of GoNordiques.com, we might be witnessing an entirely crazy scenario involving Matvei Michkov. A possible plot twist.

In an article on Philly Hockey Now, journalist Chuck Bausman suggested that the Flyers bring the young forward to Philadelphia this season, despite him being under contract in Russia until 2026.

But, as we know with the KHL, nothing is straightforward, and that's why I'm going to clarify the situation for you.

The Flyers have another quality Russian prospect in goaltender Ivan Fedotov, who has a valid contract with the Flyers for the current season but has decided to sign a new contract with KHL's CSKA Moscow. However, following his decision, the IIHF has suspended Fedotov for the remainder of the year 2023 for games in Russia, and he even broke the rules by participating in a game for his team.

But what does Michkov have to do with this story?

Well, according to Bausman, the Flyers would like to have Fedotov with them this season, but there is a surplus of goaltenders in Philadelphia. In this regard, the columnist suggests that the Flyers negotiate with Michkov's team, SKA St. Petersburg, to bring him to Philadelphia. In fact, Bausman suggests that Russia may have found a way to get back at the IIHF for Fedotov's suspension.

Could it be that Daniel Brière offers compensation to the Russians by terminating Fedotov's contract so he can return to competition in the KHL? Perhaps, but it remains that the possible arrival of Michkov in Philadelphia this year could be a reality if negotiations with the Russians are tough. Instead of warming the bench in Russia, he might as well come and learn in the best league in the world.

I remind you that this is a suggestion, and it would be very surprising to see Matvei Michkov in America this year, but just imagine the faces of the KHL executives if such a scenario were to happen.

As an old MasterCard credit card advertisement used to say : it's priceless!