The Philadelphia Flyers signed top forward prospect Matvei Michkov to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Monday.
Flyers general manager Danny Briere said he expects Michkov to play in the NHL in the upcoming season.
"He's going to be given every chance to make the team, but at the same time, he's going to have to earn his ice time," he said, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "Just on the power play alone, we hope that he can help us there. As far as the rest of his game, he's going to be in control of that and how much he's committed to playing 200 feet for (head coach John Tortorella).
"To be honest, we don't have really anyone like him in the organization, as far as a player, as far as his skill level. He's got a lot to learn and he's not going to be put above anybody else."
Philadelphia ranked 27th in the league in goals per game (2.82) in 2023-24, and its power play's 12.2% success rate represented the NHL's worst.
The Flyers selected the Russian with the seventh overall pick at the 2023 NHL Draft. Though he was projected to go higher, he had three more seasons remaining on his contract with the KHL's SKA Saint Petersburg at the time, meaning he wouldn't be able to hit the NHL until the 2026-27 campaign at the earliest.
However, SKA released Michkov from his contract in late June, freeing him up to sign with the Flyers.
"Being in the NHL has been a dream for me since childhood," Michkov said in a statement. "I would like to say a huge thank you to the Flyers management for their trust. I will do everything possible to meet their expectations. I can't wait to join my teammates and start preparing for the new season together, and I would especially like to greet our fans.
"We have the same dream to win the Stanley Cup, and I promise that (I) will do my best to help this team and make that possible."
The 19-year-old potted 19 goals and 41 points in 47 outings this past season after being loaned to HC Sochi in September. He dazzled the last time he played on North American ice at the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, leading the tournament with 12 goals and 16 points in seven games while helping Russia win the silver medal. Michkov was named MVP of the event.
The Flyers missed the postseason for the fourth straight year after finishing four points outside the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They were in a fight for a playoff spot for the bulk of the campaign but were largely done in by an abysmal eight-game losing streak near the end of the season.
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