Matvei Michkov is released by his club in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, the first step toward the Philadelphia Flyers’ top candidate joining the NHL next season, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Sunday because neither the Flyers nor SKA St. Petersburg had announced the transaction.
Michkov’s arrival in North America earlier than planned would be a big boost for Philadelphia, which selected the slick, skilled forward with the seventh pick in the 2023 draft knowing he still had three years left on his KHL contract.
But in recent weeks there has been buzz about work that needs to be done behind the scenes Michkov well before 2026. The Flyers recently went through a bizarre saga with goaltender Ivan Fedotov, who was drafted into Russian military service after signing his NHL contract in 2022 and returning to the KHL before they ultimately transferred him in March.
Michkov’s situation is much simpler, but the 19-year-old has the potential to help change the fortunes of a franchise that hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since his back-to-back stints in 1974 and ’75. Philadelphia is fresh off a rebuild after missing the playoffs the past four seasons and is starting to develop into a contender.
