Philadelphia Flyers president of hockey operations Keith Jones has heard the rumors suggesting highly touted prospect Matvei Michkov may be able to join the organization this summer - but the executive couldn't offer more details.
"When we drafted him, the expectation was he would finish his contract with (the KHL's SKA Saint Petersburg)," Jones said Wednesday. "So, we are listening. We are reading many of your articles and kind of following along. But we have no update on it. We would welcome him with open arms."
The Flyers selected Michkov with the seventh overall pick at the 2023 NHL Draft. The Russian winger had three more seasons remaining on his KHL contract at the time, meaning he wouldn't be able to hit the NHL until at least the 2026-27 campaign.
However, Russian news outlet SportExpress reported in May that Michkov's current deal is being terminated, which would allow the Flyers to sign him sooner than expected. That information hasn't been corroborated by a North American outlet, though.
"We absolutely love what he is going to bring to the Flyers," Jones said. "If that timeline is sped up, that would be wonderful. But we don't know. ... When he arrives, our fan base is going to be pretty excited about getting a highly talented player that is different than what we have right now."
After drafting Michkov last June, Flyers general manager Danny Briere said he was "blown away by his personality."
Briere added that he thought Michkov would get scooped up before Philadelphia was on the clock. He even tried to trade up for him, but the price was too high.
SKA Saint Petersburg loaned Michkov to HC Sochi in September, and the 19-year-old went on to pot 19 goals and 41 points in 47 outings.
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