Flyers sign Matvei Michkov to 3-year entry-level contract
Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports
It is actually happening.
The Flyers signed the seventh-overall pick in 2023, Matvei Michkov, to a three-year entry-level contract Monday afternoon.
Michkov was officially released by his KHL team, SKA St. Petersburg, last Tuesday, clearing the way for the 19-year-old forward to play in Philadelphia and the NHL. Now, he is a Flyer. Officially. His expected arrival was actually the 2026-27 season due to his three-year contract with the KHL.
“I’m extremely happy to officially become a part of the Flyers family,” Michkov said in a statement released by the team. “Being in the NHL has been a dream for me since childhood. I would like to say a huge thank you to the Flyers management for their trust. I will do everything possible to meet their expectations. I can’t wait to join my teammates and start preparing for the new season together, and I would especially like to greet our fans. We have the same dream to win the Stanley Cup and I promise that I will do my best to help this team and make that possible.”
In 91 career KHL games, Michkov recorded 66 points on 30 goals and 36 assists as a teenager. He was playing grown men. He dominated Russia’s junior hockey league, the MHL, posting 107 points with 68 goals in 84 career games.
He comes to Philadelphia as the face of the “New Era of Orange,” and will head to the NHL immediately, and make his debut in Calgary on October 12, and his home debut on October 19 against the Canucks.
However, there will be no givens, general manager Daniel Briere confirmed in a press conference on Monday.
“Nothing will be given to Michkov,” Briere said. “He’ll have to earn it. Earn his ice time. He’s excited to do that. I expect him to be in the NHL. We don’t have anyone else with quite his skill level. He wants to play 200 feet.”
The Flyers made some other moves as free agency opened at 1:00 p.m. ET. They re-signed defenseman Erik Johnson to a one-year, $1 million contract and re-signed forward Garnet Hathaway to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.4 million.
“We’re not focusing on making the playoffs,” Briere said. “The focus is on the big picture to build a Cup contender. That’s not going to happen in one year or two. A rebuild takes time.”
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