RW Matvei Michkov - HC Sochi, KHL (2023, 7th, PHI) Part 4

[Hinterland]

All I read is a bunch of soft ego-maniac hockey men got mad that the prospect wanted to do his interviews in person


The shit people on this board complain about lmao

Reading comprehension perhaps not a strength of yours? The article actually states the exact opposite. Nikolishin says his interview request has been denied. Furthermore, the article indicates that many, if not most or all NHL teams were unable to meet with Michkov until draft week.

 

[JABEE]

NHL teams do have Russian based scouts who are either Russian born or fluent in Russian. They also have access to translators if needed. There's just no excuse for declining interview requests all season long. You don't play along then you gotta live with the consequences.

Seems like it worked out for him

 

[Hinterland]

Seems like it worked out for him

If his goal was to get drafted by the Flyers? Then yes.

 

[FlyguyOX]

If his goal was to get drafted by the Flyers? Then yes.

As opposed to getting drafted by the bruins, golden knights, leafs, et al lol

 

[rahad]

Came you imagine if Artyom Levshunov is around at the Habs pick to fill their Righthanded Defenseman need from last year, and instead they have to go draft like Tij Iginla or something, so they get Reinbacher and Iginla when they could have had like Michkov and Levshunov, heck even Michkov and Parekh would look better.

Montreal better hope Reinbacher becomes good, because that pick has a seriously high jeopardy of haunting them.

I do love our New GM. He did a great job. Not drafting Michkov could be his biggest mistake. I also feel bad for Reinbacher. The kid received multiple insult from dumb idiot in the internet.

We will see. DR is far from being a bad player. Pretty sure Arizona would have drafted him at 6.

 

[wetcoast]

Why not also picking his linemates while at it.

Its the Flying Lizards: Money thats all i want, repeat.

Classic Flying Lizards reference.

 

[wetcoast]

i said the same thing...talent like Michkov does not come around every day, they will regret not taking him...with so much young D in Montreal with Guhl, Hutson, Barron they could have went for Michkov easy.

While I think the Habs made a mistake it's also not a reflection on Reinbacher who is still looking like an excellent prospect.

This ain't no Juolevi/Tkachuk situation here.

 

[Rich Nixon]

NHL teams do have Russian based scouts who are either Russian born or fluent in Russian. They also have access to translators if needed. There's just no excuse for declining interview requests all season long. You don't play along then you gotta live with the consequences.

The two years before he was drafted were the leadup to and immediate aftermath of Russia's war with Ukraine, during which time many NHL teams reportedly reduced or removed their scouts from Russia. A big narrative leading into the draft surrounding Michkov was taht many teams in the league had only scouted him on video.

There is sometimes a bit of a disconnect with Russian kids because they are approaching it more like a job opportunity where there is a mutual interest and not necessarily the prototypical Canadian/USA way where you go through the process saying what a blessing it'd be to play for anyone, blah blah blah as they all know how to parrot that and go through the process even if there's a 0 % chance they will end up on that team.

Brian Burke made a big stink about how 'disrespectful' Nail Yakupov was for essentially saying he'd already be drafted by that pick and either not taking or not trying in the interview with the Leafs, but Burke is a giant blowhard. Yakupov was by all (other, I guess) accounts a really nice kid, just kinda dumb.

You do realize he doesn’t speak English and is living in a country that has largely been cut off from the rest of the world, right? I doubt he knew if he would even physically get to the draft a week before.

I think in addition to all this, it's under-discussed that Michkov may not be living the most standard rich-hockey-kid experience. His father passed months before the draft under suspicious circumstances.

For one thing, that's absolutely devastating and horrible for a teenager, and who knows where that left him in life—whether you want to spend all your time taking translated phone calls with rando Canadian guys asking you stupid-ass scouting questions at that point.

For another, it may well play into why he was choosy about the team he went to. Take this quote from Rotenberg, explaining why SKA is considering letting him go:

“And I emphasize that the whole story was influenced by the family situation of Michkov. We must support him in this. This is not hockey, but a family issue. And we all must support Matvei.”

Between the volatile international situation and his father passing under suspicious circumstances, it sounds like this kid might not feel the most secure or comfortable or whatever it may be. I think he might have been choosy about the team he went with because he was looking for an employer with deep pockets, loyalty, and a willingness to get a little greasy to get him what he wanted/needed for himself and his family.

And say what you will about the Flyers, but that's them to a tee. Dirty Comcast dollars and a shitload of loyalty. So, he met with them, they said whatever they said, and they went out there and proved it this last year. They worked their dicks off to bring over Fedotov, who had his own rough treatment trying to get here, and paid him $6.5m after 3 terrible appearances for his troubles. Think they did that because it was fair market value?

 

[Hinterland]

The two years before he was drafted were the leadup to and immediate aftermath of Russia's war with Ukraine, during which time many NHL teams reportedly reduced or removed their scouts from Russia. A big narrative leading into the draft surrounding Michkov was taht many teams in the league had only scouted him on video.





I think in addition to all this, it's under-discussed that Michkov may not be living the most standard rich-hockey-kid experience. His father passed months before the draft under suspicious circumstances.

For one thing, that's absolutely devastating and horrible for a teenager, and who knows where that left him in life—whether you want to spend all your time taking translated phone calls with rando Canadian guys asking you stupid-ass scouting questions at that point.

For another, it may well play into why he was choosy about the team he went to. Take this quote from Rotenberg, explaining why SKA is considering letting him go:



Between the volatile international situation and his father passing under suspicious circumstances, it sounds like this kid might not feel the most secure or comfortable or whatever it may be. I think he might have been choosy about the team he went with because he was looking for an employer with deep pockets, loyalty, and a willingness to get a little greasy to get him what he wanted for himself and his family.

And say what you will about the Flyers, but that's them to a tee. Dirty Comcast dollars and a shitload of loyalty. So, he met with them, they said whatever they said, and they went out there and proved it this last year. They worked their dicks off to get Fedotov, who had his own rough treatment, out of Russia and paid him $6.5m after 3 terrible appearances for his troubles. Think they did that because it was fair market value?

Which NHL teams removed which scouts from Russia? Can't be many. Most NHL team have at least one Russian based scout, most of them Russian born, on their payroll. Those guys have family and friends in Russia. Scouting Russian hockey prospects is their job. For as long as Russia remains a somewhat safe country I don't think they're gonna go anywhere.

Arranging interviews during covid years was much more difficult but since then, many are done online anyway. Did Michkov do any online interviews? That's not the impression I had from following the media. The consensus seems that most if not all teams were completely unable to even get in touch with Michkov.

 

[Unger9]

Although they won't play NHL next season, the player the Flyers draft in 2024 is likely going to be a fantastic linemate and complement for Micher down the road

 

[Rich Nixon]

Which NHL teams removed which scouts from Russia? Can't be many. Most NHL team have at least one Russian based scout, most of them Russian born, on their payroll. Those guys have family and friends in Russia. Scouting Russian hockey prospects is their job. For as long as Russia remains a somewhat safe country I don't think they're gonna go anywhere.

Arranging interviews during covid years was much more difficult but since then, many are done online anyway. Did Michkov do any online interviews? That's not the impression I had from following the media. The consensus seems that most if not all teams were completely unable to even get in touch with Michkov.

Unknown which teams pulled or reduced presence in Russia; just widely reported (ESPN, NYT) that "several" did among teams spoken to. None of them were gonna put out a press release for PR and competitive reasons, but I think it's fair to say that the sticky geopolitical situation made a lot of teams wary not just about optics but about the ability to get players over as diplomatic relations fell apart.

As for the hard-to-reach part, rest of my post sort of theorizes why Michkov might not have prioritized chatting with random translators about how much protein he gets a day and what he does on Saturday nights. Life stuff, y'know. I think he had specific needs in mind for getting to the NHL and waited around to find a team capable of fulfilling them. I think he drafted the Flyers as much as the reverse.

 

[Zine]

The two years before he was drafted were the leadup to and immediate aftermath of Russia's war with Ukraine, during which time many NHL teams reportedly reduced or removed their scouts from Russia. A big narrative leading into the draft surrounding Michkov was taht many teams in the league had only scouted him on video.





I think in addition to all this, it's under-discussed that Michkov may not be living the most standard rich-hockey-kid experience. His father passed months before the draft under suspicious circumstances.

For one thing, that's absolutely devastating and horrible for a teenager, and who knows where that left him in life—whether you want to spend all your time taking translated phone calls with rando Canadian guys asking you stupid-ass scouting questions at that point.

For another, it may well play into why he was choosy about the team he went to. Take this quote from Rotenberg, explaining why SKA is considering letting him go:



Between the volatile international situation and his father passing under suspicious circumstances, it sounds like this kid might not feel the most secure or comfortable or whatever it may be. I think he might have been choosy about the team he went with because he was looking for an employer with deep pockets, loyalty, and a willingness to get a little greasy to get him what he wanted/needed for himself and his family.

And say what you will about the Flyers, but that's them to a tee. Dirty Comcast dollars and a shitload of loyalty. So, he met with them, they said whatever they said, and they went out there and proved it this last year. They worked their dicks off to bring over Fedotov, who had his own rough treatment trying to get here, and paid him $6.5m after 3 terrible appearances for his troubles. Think they did that because it was fair market value?

Quit propagating rumors. There was nothing suspicious about his father's death once it was fully investigated.......unless we all put on tinfoil hats.

As for Michkov, Rotenberg was attempting to justify why the nation's best talent may be going to the NHL under his watch. It's family reasons! And SKA, being the wholesome organization it is, always supports players by putting family first!! We must support Matvei!!! Lolol
It's total BS. The entire interview is beyond absurd. The guy is a clown.

 

[Zine]

At the very least Michkov talked to Anaheim. Their scout Krylov reportedly set it up.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Quit propagating rumors. There was nothing suspicious about his father's death after it was fully investigated.......unless we all put on tinfoil hats.

As for Michkov, Rotenberg was attempting to justify why the country's best talent is slipping through his fingers enroute to the NHL early. Family reasons! And SKA, the ever ethical organization, always supports it players by putting family first!! It's total BS. In fact that entire interview is beyond cringeworthy. The guy is a clown.

They should have asked him, if Michkov was such a great young player why didn't he invite him to his U25 team...

 

[ItWasJustified]

They should have asked him, if Michkov was such a great young player why didn't he invite him to his U25 team...

It's obvious that Rotenberg have something personal against Michkov, either off the ice or on the ice, but he still wants to make sure he's covered from any criticism that might be directed towards him in the future regarding either the ''transfer'' to North America or Michkov's potential superstardom.

 

[Guadana]

Reading comprehension perhaps not a strength of yours? The article actually states the exact opposite. Nikolishin says his interview request has been denied. Furthermore, the article indicates that many, if not most or all NHL teams were unable to meet with Michkov until draft week.

Nikolishin and Michkov had interview together after.

If MM wasn't drafted because of declining interviews way before the draft than let's be it.

Montreal and San Jose didn't draft Michkov because they didn't have opportunity to interview him until the draft week. Its a good reason to not draft generational talent. Great management. 4D chess.

 

[Peasy]

Don't think its insane for teams to not want to draft a player that clearly made little effort to get in contact with them. No other prospects had this problem. Just look at how burned the Flyers got themselves by taking Gauthier, a player that wasnt a fan of the Flyers. A 5th overall pick they used 2 years ago has now turned into a 2nd and a small, more injured than not d man. Yes Drysdale was a former 6th overall pick but he has nowhere near that value now or the time he was traded.

Its not "4D chess", its reality. A company is not going to hire someone that gives off the vibe they dont want anything to do with them.

 

[gifted88]

How is it different? As a top prospect you get interview requests on a weekly basis at the very least during your draft year. If you only wanna talk to teams during draft week that also means you having to decline a shitload of interview requests.

To give you some perspective on this: EV Zug's GM saw himself forced to limit NHL team's access to Leon Muggli because scouts were trying to enter the team's dressing room, they called the team's staff members to ask about Muggli, they called his school etc. When the club on one day decided to play Muggli with the U20 team instead of the NL team, Zug's GM said that certain NHL scouts were angry because of it.

Leon Muggli is expected to be a 2nd/3rd round pick. He's not Matvei Michkov. Not even close. Yet still NHL teams were mad at EV Zug just for them trying to somewhat limit the prospect's exposure to NHL teams.

Now imagine how NHL teams feel about you if you, as a top prospect, just ignore them all season long until draft week.

What I'm reading is he purposely declined interviews with specific teams he didn't want to be drafted by in order to go where he wanted. But the article you provided shows he declined every team until the week of the draft. Those are two different things.

 

[Guadana]

Don't think its insane for teams to not want to draft a player that clearly made little effort to get in contact with them. No other prospects had this problem. Just look at how burned the Flyers got themselves by taking Gauthier, a player that wasnt a fan of the Flyers. A 5th overall pick they used 2 years ago has now turned into a 2nd and a small, more injured than not d man. Yes Drysdale was a former 6th overall pick but he has nowhere near that value now or the time he was traded.

Its not "4D chess", its reality. A company is not going to hire someone that gives off the vibe they dont want anything to do with them.

What I'm reading is he purposely declined interviews with specific teams he didn't want to be drafted by in order to go where he wanted.

He didn't decline mtl interview before the draft. And answered all their incompetent questions.

So its on Montreal to not draft him.

Now people can imagine any reason to protect that stupid decision.
There are no Devils fan who protected Zacha pick. And it was obvious after short period after the draft.

 

[Hinterland]

He didn't decline mtl interview before the draft. And answered all their incompetent questions.

So its on Montreal to not draft him.

Now people can imagine any reason to protect that stupid decision.
There are no Devils fan who protected Zacha pick. And it was obvious after short period after the draft.

Source?
Friedman made it sound as if Michkov was completely unavailable all season long until draft week...for most if not all teams. Friedman is usually a reliable source and he, based on his research, actually predicted Philadelphia drafting Michkov. So what makes you think that Montreal was an exception?

 

[Fatass]

What I'm reading is he purposely declined interviews with specific teams he didn't want to be drafted by in order to go where he wanted. But the article you provided shows he declined every team until the week of the draft. Those are two different things.

When it’s an average player then don’t draft him. But when it’s a generational talent like Michkov you for sure draft him and then trade him if you must. That is what happened with Lindros and the trade built the Avs into a Cup winner.
Never pass over a generational talent.

 

[Hinterland]

When it’s an average player then don’t draft him. But when it’s a generational talent like Michkov you for sure draft him and then trade him if you must. That is what happened with Lindros and the trade built the Avs into a Cup winner.
Never pass over a generational talent.

How many generational talents got benched and scratched multiple times during their D+1 season? And no, it's not just Roman Rotenberg's agenda. Michkov was both benched and scratched in Sochi as well.

Is Michkov generational? It's possible but I believe it when I see it. For now there are mostly red flags.

 

[Peasy]

He didn't decline mtl interview before the draft. And answered all their incompetent questions.

So its on Montreal to not draft him.

Now people can imagine any reason to protect that stupid decision.
There are no Devils fan who protected Zacha pick. And it was obvious after short period after the draft.

You don't think its possible he gave off vibes he didnt want to play for certain teams even if he agreed for a quick interview? Don't think it would be very difficult to notice. He knew what he was doing.

You are free to your opinion that you should have still drafted him no matter what. But the truth is, not everyone is going to share that opinion, especially the people in charge of making that pick and potentially having to deal with the backlash/issues that come in the future (refusing to play, having to trade him etc).

Its much easier to say x team should have picked him when you have zero stakes in the game.

 

[Fatass]

How many generational talents got benched and scratched multiple times during their D+1 season? And no, it's not just Roman Rotenberg's agenda. Michkov was both benched and scratched in Sochi as well.

Is Michkov generational? Possibly but I believe it when I see it. For now there are mostly red flags.

Going to be interesting to see Michkov putting up generational numbers with the Flyers while leading them to wins (and the playoffs) and clubs who passed on him are looking forward to their lottery odds.

 

[Redpath]

Here's at least one report at the time from Montreal suggesting nothing negative about Michkov's interview.

Maybe this is just an outlier report, but maybe "Michkov tanked his interviews" is just grasping at the straws.