Flyers' Michkov’s slow start tied to conditioning concerns, sloppy play

VOORHEES, N.J. — Three games into the season, and Matvei Michkov does not have a point for the Flyers. 

It's not a sophomore slump just yet, but is it the freshman fifteen?

O.K., that's a bit of a hyperbolic question. Michkov didn't put on 15 pounds, like college freshmen are wont to do when they leave home and don't always have the best diets when living on their own for the first time. 

But what's not hyperbolic is Michkov is not quite where he should be at this point conditioning-wise. 

This first popped out on the Spittin' Chicklets podcast on Monday, when it was suggested that Michkov came to camp and wasn't in shape:

Biz & Whit both heard Michkov has come into the season out of shape. pic.twitter.com/uOMTa2lprb

— J (@jceezz) October 13, 2025

Immediately thereafter, Flyers coach Rick Tocchet told reporters that Michkov had an undisclosed ankle injury from the summer that slowed his offseason fitness plan.

And no, it had nothing to do with the car accident he was involved in when he was vacationing in Dubai in May. Apparently, according to a team source, it happened during an on-ice workout after that.

"There was something this summer with his ankle that I didn't even know about," Tocchet said. "It limited some of his training. So he's a little bit behind the eight ball when it comes to that, but it's something we're going to try to correct."

Michkov has seen reduced minutes in each of the first three games. He's averaged 14:26 of ice time in the three games. Tocchet chalked that up to the Flyers having to kill 10 minutes in penalties each night, and since Michkov isn't on the penalty kill, it leaves less time available to him to skate. 

And while Tocchet's technically not wrong about the extended penalty kill, it's not like the Flyers played penalty-free in Michkov's rookie season when he averaged 16:41 of ice time in 80 games.

It's also notable that Michkov did not play in the entirety of the overtime period in Carolina - and also sat the entire second half of the third period. It was likely a hooking penalty in the neutral zone that planted his butt firmly on the bench for the final eight minutes or so of the period, but he also had a blunder when he bailed out on a play in his own end while the Panthers were threatening to score that resulted in a shorthanded  goal by Florida's Sam Reinhart at the end of the second period that didn't sit well with his coach. 

Sam Reinhart - Florida Panthers (2)
Shorthanded Goal pic.twitter.com/2X7nxJxn1i

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) October 14, 2025

"The shorthanded goal is something we can't do," Tocchet said. "That's not just on him. It's a couple guys. It's been three games that we're giving up 2-on-1s on the power play. ... That's all positional and understanding the game. I'm not just blaming him. I'm talking about the team. So, we got to clean that up."

But Tocchet talked about that shorthanded goal against when answering the following question:

Setting aside the ice time, Michkov's had three games and doesn't have any points. From your perspective, what's missing from his game? What does he need to do? 

So, there is definitely some time being taken away from him, for his play especially late in games. Tocchet turned to Nikita Grebenkin for a shift with three minutes to play and the team protecting a one-goal lead. All the while, Michkov sat on the bench. 

Still, Tocchet thought Michkov played better in Monday's 5-2 win over Florida than he did in either of the Flyers first two games. He also felt that he had much better jump in practice on Tuesday. 

Unlike his predecessor, Tocchet doesn't believe in scratching a player to give him a reset when things are a bit off the rails. 

"No," Tocchet said when asked if that enters his mind for Michkov. "A guy like him has got to play through it. ... We got to get him skating. I thought he had a good practice today. There's two good days together. We just got to stack some days together."

Michkov was not made available to speak about either his recently unearthed ankle injury, his gap in training, his lack of production or his diminished ice time. A team official said Michkov was available, but that the Flyers didn't have a translator ready and available. Michkov is expected to speak publicly about this after practice on Wednesday.

In the meantime, Michkov is going to continue to be managed in a way that's both best for him and best for the Flyers chances of winning games.

Loose Pucks

•  Travis Sanheim was given a maintenance day on Tuesday. Tocchet said he likes to give guys who play big minutes a day off occasionally as a recovery day. Sanheim played nearly 25 minutes on Monday. 
• Cam York was an active participant at practice and should return to the lineup on Thursday.
• Emil Andrae impressed in his 10-plus minutes of ice time, however he took a hit and temporarily left the game in the third period. "I'm a little sore, but I'm good," he told me after practice. 
• Tocchet worked with Grebenkin after practice one-on-one on one timers. Tocchet feels Grebenkin has made an impact in his first two games this season and deserves to play more. "He's the one guy you should be asking why he's not getting ice time," the coach said. "He's the guy that I think needs to get out there more."

 Don't miss Snow The Goalie, this Wednesday live at Chickie's and Pete's of Malvern, 10 Liberty Blvd., at 6PM. The show will broadcast from a different Chickie's and Pete's location every week throughout the Flyers season.