Chris Johnston just weighed in on the Matvei Michkov situation, and his read on the Flyers is not a comfortable one.
The 21-year-old has been at the center of trade chatter in Philadelphia for days. It reached the point where Rick Tocchet and Michkov himself were asked about it before the Flyers played the Oilers on Wednesday.
Johnston described a relationship that is sliding, and said the situation is probably one step before the point where it becomes a massive problem.
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He also said he has been told this is not a formal trade request. In the same breath he made clear that plenty is brewing, and that things are clearly not trending in a positive direction.
That distinction matters. A formal request puts a general manager on the clock. Without one, Daniel Briere still holds the cards, but the longer the noise goes on, the less control he has over the message.
Michkov played 20:44 in Wednesday's 3-2 overtime loss in Edmonton and picked up an assist. So the player is still producing and still in the lineup while the talk grows around him. We covered his answer on whether he's happy in Philadelphia in Matvei Michkov's response to the happiness question.
Would the Flyers really move Matvei Michkov?
Nothing in what Johnston said points to a deal being done. He described a trend, not a transaction.
Still, moving him now would be a mistake. The seventh overall pick in 2023 has 10 goals in 21 games this season, five of them on the power play. Selling a player of that age and skill while his value is clouded by a messy situation is selling low.
The team around him is a different problem. Philadelphia is 5-10-6, 28th in the NHL, with a goal differential of -22. Michkov's own rating is -11, which won't help the Flyers' side in any negotiation.
His contract adds a clock. He is on an entry-level deal that runs through this season and he is an RFA at expiry, so Briere will have to decide soon whether this is a relationship worth repairing.
Our earlier look at Charlie O'Connor's Michkov report already pointed to an awkward spot for the Flyers. Johnston's comments make that spot tighter.
The Flyers are next in action Saturday at Columbus, and every answer Michkov or Tocchet gives before then will be read for clues.
More to come.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Should the Flyers trade Matvei Michkov before the situation gets worse?
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