Flyers Development Camp may have kicked off yesterday, allowing some of the brand new prospects to get introduced to the organization, and giving management and fans alike a chance to check in with the prospect group as a whole, but a presence looming over the camp came from one of the prospects not in attendance — one Matvei Michkov.
Despite being released from his KHL contract last week and officially signing his Entry Level Contract with the Flyers on Monday, visa and logistical issues kept Michkov from making an appearance at this camp. But even without being a physical presence at the practice rink this week, Michkov seems to be on the minds of all.
Flyers’ Director of Player Development Riley Armstrong is very familiar with Michkov and the season he had last year. Speaking to the assembled media group after the end of yesterday’s on-ice sessions, he pointed out, “I watch a lot of his games. As a KHL alumni, I like to check back in on the league and see how they’re doing.”
Jokes aside, Armstrong is equally excited by what he saw and what potential impact Michkov will have on the team, when he does make his debut. He’s measured in his expectations, noting that there’s going to be a legitimate adjustment period needed, but feels the learning curve shouldn’t be too steep:
“I think the biggest adjustment is just going to be going to the smaller ice every night. Over there, some rinks are big and some rinks are NHL size. [And] for him I think just being in the d-zone, worrying about that, I think playing for Torts he’s gonna learn that pretty quick. And just little board battles. Kind of the stuff we’re doing actually today would be perfect for him. But I think from the blue line out and when he gets the puck, I think he’s gonna pull all of you guys out of your seat, along with the other fans at the Wells Fargo Center. So I don’t now how long it’ll take for him to adjust to the league, but once he figures it out and understands his linemates and stuff like that, I think he’s gonna be a pretty special player.”
The organization may be taking something of a cautious, measured approach to Michkov and his adjustment to the North American game, but the excitement is still pretty palpable. The team is being careful — as fans should be as well — not to put the weight of saving the whole organization on his shoulders, and understanding that they’ll have to put work in with him as well in order to develop him the right way, but it’s impossible not to dream about the damage he should be able to do on NHL opponents in not too long at all.
As Armstrong said, there’s a really special player waiting in the wings to make his debut — somehow at once both at long last and ahead of schedule — and it’s impossible not to let the excitement from that begin to seep in.
