Fears over getting Matvei Michkov out of Russia, combined with a lack of reliable scouting, led the skilled winger to slip in the 2023 NHL draft. The rebuilding Philadelphia Flyers took him with the seventh pick, willing to be patient and wait for Michkov to play out the final three seasons of his KHL contract.
Two years ahead of schedule, the Flyers got Michkov to North America, and he could make his debut in the top hockey league in the world on Friday. He could be the best prospect to come out of Russia since Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin in 2005.
