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The Philadelphia Flyers (5-10-5) opening 20 games of the 2026-27 regular season have been pretty disastrous. The last thing they needed to add to it was a report that stated leading scorer Matvei Michkov “would likely want a new start elsewhere.”
But that’s exactly what they got on Tuesday according to a report from ESPN Insider Kevin Weekes. Weekes quoted “league sources” — which sometimes means someone for a different organization speaking on condition of anonymity — who stated with the Flyers’ “unimpressive start and internal turmoil” that Matvei Michkov would be a “prime trading candidate going forward.”
Shortly after, fellow ESPN reporter Emily Kaplan stated that Michkov hadn’t formally requested a trade and that the report was “news to the Flyers’ front office.” Flyers sources also informed Hockey Hot Stove’s Bill Meltzer of the same: “Not sure where Kevin got that. Not from us.”
Per sources speaking to PHLY’s Charlie O’Connor, Michkov’s North American agent Paul Theofanous informed the Flyers that the report did not come from him.
Michkov leads the Flyers with 10 goals. He’s tied for the team lead in points with 14.
A Potential Fulcrum Moment For Flyers’ Management
Considering the concerns raised about the handling of Michkov’s development dating back to February, this adds an unpleasant new development on that front. General manager Daniel Briere had maintained that Michkov wouldn’t be going anywhere then.
There’s little question that the Flyers have reached a fulcrum point of their season. And quite frankly, it’s a tipping point for Daniel Briere and team president Keith Jones’ tenure stewarding the team. The idea of losing Michkov, a franchise pillar (and Briere’s first draft pick as the team’s general manager), would be cataclysmic in terms of franchise optics.
The Flyers are two years removed from being forced to trade Cutter Gauthier, their 2022 fifth overall pick, to the Anaheim Ducks. With the Ducks, Gauthier has become of the NHL’s top goal scorers. The Flyers can ill afford to lose another star player in such a manner or else the current rebuild would be in serious danger.
Interesting Timing For Flyers
The timing of Weeke’s report coming just as the General Managers’ Meeting was wrapping up is certainly coincidental timing. Especially when “league sources” are involved. It’s not out of the question that Briere displeased some of his brethren with his market busting offer sheet for Anaheim Ducks’ center Leo Carlsson this summer. So it’s feasible that this could be some blowback from that.
However, the Flyers current state leaves them wide open for those kind of potential “fog of war” tactics.
At the same time, Michkov and defenseman Nick Seeler’s heated conversation Tuesday night can’t be overlooked, in light of the report. In a vacuum, this can foisted off as two competitive teammates having an in-game disagreement. But the Flyers have struggled in holding third period leads and were hanging on for dear life before Travis Sanheim’s empty net goal.
Couple that moment with Seeler’s and Tocchet’s comments on players over-extending their shifts in late October. Add in Michkov liking social media posts that were critical of his ice time, with the player acknowledging the fact that he desired more a couple days later.
Then stir in in a rough sophomore season that was handled poorly by both the player and the head coach for good measure.
All of those things become more magnified in the current environment. So whether Weekes’ report is reflective of how Michkov feels at the moment isn’t the big point here. What’s important is what the Flyers do next.
No one is absolving Michkov of accountability. And he certainly hasn’t been perfect in his first two plus seasons with the Flyers.
But he is markedly improved from where he was a season ago. He remains a work in progress, but has shown how dangerous and creative he is with the puck on his stick. That dynamism is critical to the team’s current and future success.
With Michkov’s impending restricted free agency this upcoming offseason, Briere has a potentially dangerous fire to put out now. How he goes about doing that will tell the tale for the rest of this season and those to come.
Flyers Big Mistakes Lead To Collective Fragility
The Michkov report is “tip of the iceberg” stuff when it comes to calling into question the Flyers team culture.
Last season, it was a group that found a way to make the playoffs when it seemed near-impossible. At the same time, it’s beginning to appear more a case of over-achievement, leaving a young roster to deal with the burden of expectations. Briere briefly spoke to the possibility of a “step back” season. But the season so far has been far worse than that.
The current iteration of the team has found ways to lose in confounding ways. While you can point to the roster as being imperfect, it’s more about playing with a high level hockey IQ. Last year’s team seemed to revel in defensive details. This team seems to have forgotten them.
Moments where they make a critical turnover, either in the neutral zone or in their own end. They’ve cleared the puck without pressure for delay of game penalties. Or where they’ve been caught with their defensemen overloaded, leaving an opposing forward with a clear lane to the net.
All sequences that have put undue pressure on goaltenders Daniel Vladar and Joseph Woll to hold them in the game. 60 minute efforts have been few and far between.
Frustrations are bound to boil over when those moments stack up over time. Team captain Sean Couturier has made reference to the Flyers “soft” or “dumb” play at various times. Which leads us to another big problem.
Flyers Young Veterans Aren’t Stepping Up
In recent games, head coach Rick Tocchet has called on key players “to make a play.” Some might look at that as pointed commentary for Michkov or Porter Martone, it also falls to other players who have come up woefully short in their performances this season.
The Flyers offense has been pop-gun level through the opening 20 games, averaging 2.21 goals per game. Defensively, they are giving up 3.37 goals against. Among the young veteran players who haven’t pulled their offensive weight include Owen Tippett (two goals, three points in 14 games), Tyson Foerster (three goals, five points in 19 GP) and Noah Cates (two goals, five points in 20 GP).
Center Christian Dvorak (3-7-10 in 20 GP) hasn’t been a strong a two way players as he was last season. Couturier is trying to help, but it’s probably well past the point of his career to expect him to produce in a scoring line role. Travis Konecny recently returned from his lower-body injury, so he’s trying to get his scoring stride back (two goals and six points in 10 games).
Trevor Zegras, while tied with Michkov in scoring, hasn’t been nearly as impactful as he was last season. After starting this season at center, he has since moved back to left wing. As a result, the Flyers center situation remains dire when it comes to offensive production.
Defensively, Cam York has been a major disappointment with one assist and a minus 10 rating. They’ve missed Rasmus Ristolainen’s physicality as he has missed 16 games so far with an upper body injury. Sanheim has eight points, but has had stretches of games that have been below his recent high standards.
While the Michkov report gets the big picture attention, the Flyers are where they are collectively because they aren’t generating enough offense or playing tight enough defense to support their goaltenders.
Flyers By The Numbers (Through 20 Games)
- Overall Record: 5-10-5 (Sixth in Metropolitan Division)
- Home Record: 3-4-3
- Road Record: 2-6-2
- Record Leading After First Period: 3-2-1
- Record Leading After Second Period: 5-1-2
- Record Trailing After First Period: 0-7-2
- Record Trailing After Second Period: 0-6-2
- Record Tied After First Period: 2-1-2
- Record Tied After Second Period: 0-3-1
- Record in Back To Back Games: 1-4-3 (25th in NHL)
- Goals For/Against Overall: 45-66 (minus-21 differential)
- Goals Scored (Home vs Road): 26-19
- Goals Against (Home vs Road): 35-30
- Power-Play: 18.3 percent (24th overall)
- Penalty Kill: 80.6 percent (10th overall)
- Save Percentage: .886 (16th overall)
- Time Leading-Trailing-Tied: 334:47-461:42-421:05
Off The Post Radio with Jason Myrtetus
The midweek edition of Off The Post Radio, powered by Team Toyota, is coming your way Wednesday at 4:30pm ET.
Jason Myrtetus from the Flyers Broadcasting Network joins me, Michael Augello, and Russ Cohen to discuss the Flyers struggles, the Michkov report, and much more.
Join us here:
Tocchet Post-Game Video (vs. Vancouver)
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