Flyers Exit Interviews: Michkov ‘Could’ve Scored a Lot More. Not Very Happy with My Result.’

From the moment he arrived in North America in July, all eyes were on Matvei Michkov and his rookie season. There were visions of the Calder Trophy, and that he would be the first in Flyers history to take home the top rookie honor. There were visions of a boosted power play. There were visions of a pure goal scorer.

During his rookie season, Michkov showed more glimpses of that than emerging as an immediate, top-of-the-line superstar. The foundation is there, but there was plenty of adjusting as well.

“There were some difficulties, but we’ll work on them,” Michkov said.

Michkov ultimately finished his rookie season with 26 goals, leading the team and all rookies in the NHL in the 2024-25 season. He also had 63 points in 80 games. Still, the always competitive Michkov felt there was more to unlock.

“Truthfully, there was more moments within the season,” Michkov said. “Could’ve scored a lot more. Not very happy with my result.”

Down the stretch, Michkov found success following the coaching change, scoring six goals and six assists for 12 points in the final nine games. Prior to that, Michkov had his moments, but also had long gaps without a point under head coach John Tortorella.

There were certainly moments between the veteran head coach and the budding star player. During a benching in January, cameras caught Tortorella and Michkov in a heated exchange on the bench. Despite the back-and-forth, Michkov felt he learned a lot from Tortorella.

“I think John taught me a lot. It was a pleasure to work with him as well,” Michkov said. “I think it’s one of my best coaches. He had a lot under his belt. He gave me a lot. I was listening to him all the time and I’m sure in the future it will help me out. Not everything, but most of it.”

Michkov did seem to indicate that the moments when his minutes were reduced, whether through benchings, being a healthy scratch, or a reduced role, contributed to taking longer to adjust and get comfortable.

“I don’t like to play not enough minutes,” Michkov said. “If I play more minutes, I’ll feel comfortable.”

Michkov will spend at least part of the summer at home in Russia and will be taking some time immediately to rest. When he does resume activity and start preparing for the next season, he has no single area of focus. There are many parts of his game he wants to work on and address.

“First, learn the English language, so I can communicate with the partners. All aspects of the game need to be improved,” Michkov said. “There is no skill, nothing yet in the game, that I’m feeling 100 percent yet. There is always room to improve.”

GM Danny Briere was impressed with the 20-year-old’s exit interview. He noted that Michkov was extremely prepared and had notes on what he wanted to work on over the offseason.

“The one thing I can tell you is it’s impressive how minded he is. I’ve been around a few superstars and he’s got that mindset,” Briere said. “He came in and he has a detailed plan of all the things he wants to do. I was actually shocked with how prepared he was for his meeting. He knew exactly what he needed to do and how he wants to conduct himself.

“He’s a special athlete and person. He sees it. He’s extremely intelligent. He’s got a different mind. It’s part of the reason that makes him who he is. There’s something special around him, just on his approach. What he was telling me and all the things that he learned this year. I was amazed by – usually you don’t expect that from a 20-year-old to come in and tell you how he’s looked around the league. He’s looked at players, where they have success, why they have success, and what he needs to do. Usually, guys get that in their 30s, or when the career starts winding down.”

Briere also noted that having Michkov arrive earlier than expected was already providing to be helpful, and just how much he produced was impressive.

“Having Matvei come in this year rather than wait an extra two years, the culture shock, the language, learning from Torts and his staff, understanding a little better how everything works around here. Navigating an NHL dressing room is not easy, especially when you come in as a superstar, trying to fit into a group that’s already kind of looking at you sideways, like ‘Okay, here’s the savior coming in,’” Briere said. “This is not an easy room, or any room to walk into the way he did it and at the same time, trying to keep his swagger. I’m so glad he went through that this year. I think the players – he earned their respect by how he carried himself. He’s a hard worker. He always is looking to improve. I’m really excited with him. With the stuff that he was able to do, I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t think he would score even 20 goals this year. I didn’t think he would get to half a point a game. There’s so many facets of his games that are not quite there yet. It’s really, really exciting what happened with him this year.”

Michkov felt that from both the others within the organization and the fan base. As he continues to adjust to the NHL, he is determined to deliver on that with the help of those around him.

“If not for the people that surround me and the fans, it would be a lot harder,” Michkov said. “Always giving me the extra drive. Want to especially thank management. They were always helping me in any kind of situation.”