Elliotte Friedman just gave his read on why the Flyers won't give up on Matvei Michkov, and it comes with a twist about the coaching staff.
The Michkov saga has dominated Flyers talk all week. Philadelphia sits 5-10-6, 28th in the NHL, after Wednesday night's 3-2 overtime loss in Edmonton, where the 21-year-old played 20:44 with one assist and no shots on goal.
Friedman's thesis, as relayed this morning, is that Danny Briere knows the talent is there and would rather hold on too long than trade too early.
He believes Philadelphia will prioritize making things work with Michkov and sees him as a long-term investment. It may take longer than everybody wants, Michkov included, but management is betting on the player.
Friedman also said he heard "crazy stories" about the relationship between Michkov and his teammates. Fixing it, he added, is a work in progress.
A summary of his notes says there was friction between Michkov and teammates, and that the repair job is ongoing.
For background, Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun reported earlier this week that it was not a formal trade request, and Briere said the original report "was not correct" after speaking with Michkov and his agent Paul Theofanous, as we noted in Danny Briere's response to the Michkov trade chatter.
Is Michkov getting extra help from the Flyers' coaching staff?
Friedman went a step further, and he labeled it a guess. It wouldn't surprise him if management told the coaching staff that this has to work and to lean toward the player by putting him out there.
He said plainly that he doesn't know that for a fact.
Nothing in the sheet confirms a directive exists, and Rick Tocchet has his own reasons to play Michkov. The winger has 10 goals this season, five of them on the power play.
But if the message really is to play him through it, a 28th-place team is paying for that patience in the standings. A 20:44 night without a single shot on goal is hard to defend as a reward for anybody, and that applies to a player with Michkov's talent too.
Briere clearly isn't ready to give up on a 2023 first-round pick who went seventh overall. The Flyers visit Columbus on Saturday, and Michkov's minutes there will show whether the staff is leaning his way.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Should the Flyers keep playing Matvei Michkov big minutes even if it costs them games?
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