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Prior to their arena neighbors making major roster splashes, general manager Daniel Briere attempted one of his own with the Leo Carlsson offer sheet. Beyond that, the focus has been taking care of their own business. With forward Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale secured to four-year contracts, things have begun to settle.
However, one of the biggest areas that could affect their 2026-27 season aspirations is the summer preparation work of third year forward Matvei Michkov. And according to an interview with RG Media’s Daria Tuboltseva, the Russian right wing has taken it very seriously.
No Summer Vacation
During the interview, Michkov indicated that his summer has been entirely focused on training in his hometown of Perm, Moscow, and St. Petersburg forgoing any vacation time.
“There was no vacation at all, because an important season is ahead,” Michkov said. “I need to play well, I want that myself. So I need to keep my body in shape at all times.”
His programs included a two week period in which he practiced three times a day, under the watchful eye of a Flyers coach.
“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,” Michkov said. “Unfortunately, the coach didn’t have that much time, so he wanted to fit everything into two weeks.”
Following that, Tuboltseva reported that there’s a greater focus on nutrition and recovery to go with the more intense work.
“It’s important to eat right so you have the energy for training and recovery,” he said. “All great players come to this sooner or later. So I have to stick to it too.”
On the ice, he played in the Match of the Year on July 25, a charity game organized for a third consecutive year organized by Alex Ovechkin and others. He scored a hat trick, including an impressive lacrosse style goal.
Michkov also participated in a skills camp with Los Angeles Kings forward Artemi Panarin, whose skillset he’s often compared to.
“You can learn everything from Artemi — from passing to shooting. I think you can take a lot from Panarin. It definitely won’t hurt.”
Finally, Michkov confirmed The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz’s report that he would return to Philadelphia in early August to continue preparations.
Overcoming A Rough Sophomore Season
One lasting memory from the team’s closing interview day was seeing Michkov getting out on the ice to practice individually. It was understandable why. He had been scratched from the line-up twice during the Flyers playoff run. There’s little question being scratched for their Game Four loss to the Carolina Hurricanes that ended their season had to sting. It was
It’s also proven to be just the beginning an important summer for Michkov. His sophomore season struggles following an injury last summer are well reported. His lack of preparations put him behind the proverbial eight ball with head coach Rick Tocchet.
Michkov struggled keeping up with play for most of the season leading up to the Olympic break, finishing wth 20 goals and 51 points in 81 games. It forced a shift from his natural right wing spot to the left wing to account for defensive inefficiencies that couldn’t be overlooked.
Coming out of the break with more on-ice practice time, he was able to be one of the team leaders in scoring. In doing so, he helped them achieve their first playoff berth since the 2020 season.
However, the playoffs proved to be an entirely different beast as his lack of pace was exposed, leading to his roster exclusions.
Now, his third season looms. The final year of his entry level contract. There’s an old phrase: if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. There’s little question about Michkov’s precocious talents. He thinks the game like a super computer. But it means nothing without rigorous physical and skill preparations. And all indications are that’s been a focus.
If Matvei Michkov is going to fulfill his potential as a NHL star, the work put in this summer has to be the start of that.
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