Kevin Weekes just reported that Flyers forward Matvei Michkov would likely want a fresh start elsewhere, per multiple league sources.
UPDATE (5:10 PM ET): Everything in the new posts repeats what the article already carries. Pagnotta's note that the Flyers haven't been told by Michkov's camp, the Kaplan-sourced report via Wyshynski that no formal trade request exists, and Sommermann's multiple Flyers sources denying it are all already in the piece. Gino Hard's post only restates Weekes' original report.
There is nothing new to add, so I'm not publishing an update.
UPDATE (5:04 PM ET): Greg Wyshynski, relaying a report from Emily Kaplan, says Matvei Michkov has not formally requested a trade from the Flyers. Wyshynski was told the Weekes report was news to the Flyers front office.
Sommermann adds that, per multiple Flyers sources, the team is heavily denying the idea that Michkov wants a fresh start elsewhere. One source called it "news to me." Another source, relayed by James Nichols, says the club hasn't heard from Michkov or his camp.
UPDATE (4:46 PM ET): Pro Hockey Rumors now frames the story more bluntly, saying Matvei Michkov "will seek a trade" from the Flyers. That goes further than Kevin Weekes' original wording, which only said what the winger would likely want.
Nothing in the new posts changes the caveat Pagnotta already gave. Neither Weekes nor the other reports say Michkov's camp has formally asked Philadelphia for a move.
This is a report, not a confirmed trade request. The sources describe what Michkov would likely want, and the reasons given are the Flyers' poor start and the internal turmoil around the team.
BR_OpenIce relayed Weekes' report that Michkov prefers a fresh start elsewhere and wondered whether the young winger could be moved this year.
David Pagnotta added the key caveat. He said the Flyers are caught off guard by the report and that, as of now, Michkov's camp has not informed them that he wants out.
The timing is hard to miss. It comes less than a day after the heated moment on the Flyers bench in Vancouver, where Michkov and Nick Seeler went at it. Porter Martone stepped in, and Noel Acciari and Noah Cates tried to calm things down.
Michkov was named first star of that 3-1 win anyway. He leads the Flyers with 10 goals and 14 points in 20 games, and five of those goals came on the power play.
Production isn't the problem. The Flyers are 5-10-5 and sit 27th in the NHL, and a report earlier today said the organization may take an axe to its veteran core if the season doesn't turn around.
Would the Flyers really trade Michkov?
They shouldn't. He is 21, he is the team's leading scorer, and he is the most dynamic offensive player on a club that has scored 45 goals in 20 games. Moving him now would mean giving up the one forward who can create a goal out of nothing.
But the calendar matters. He is in the last year of his entry-level deal, and Weekes' sources describe him as a prime trade candidate going forward. Daniel Briere has a decision to make, and a quiet one would be better than a public standoff.
Stefen Rosner doesn't see the Flyers trading Michkov within the division, but he expects Islanders GM Mathieu Darche to inquire.
Rosner added that if Philadelphia is willing to move Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny or Michkov, he'd expect New York to explore all three. That is a long list, and it shows how much the Flyers could be about to change.
The locker room's mood was already a story, as the beat writers' split on the Seeler clash showed this morning. Now Rick Tocchet has to deal with it on the road at Edmonton on Wednesday, against an Oilers team that is 13-3-3.
More to come.
Quick hits
PITTSBURGH PENGUINSDan Kingerski just revealed new lines after practice in Anaheim, and Nicholas Robertson is getting a promotion. Good for him.
ANAHEIM DUCKSTroy Terry is likely to play Wednesday against Nashville, according to RotoWire. That would be his season debut, and the Ducks could use him.
NEW JERSEY DEVILSConnor Hellebuyck told reporters in Winnipeg that things happened to his family that "crossed the line." He spoke hours before the Devils face the Jets.
LOS ANGELES KINGSMats Zuccarello is slated to return to the Kings lineup tonight against the Predators, per RotoWire. Welcome back.
WASHINGTON CAPITALSTom Wilson is in the lineup tonight against the Senators in Ottawa, George Richards reports.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
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