When the Philadelphia Flyers selected Russian ice hockey phenom Matvey Michkov with the seventh overall pick in last year's draft, the expectation was that he would come to North America in 2026 when his KHL contract expired.
It seems like Christmas came two years early.
Mishukov is reportedly planning to opt out of his contract with KHL club SKA St. Petersburg and join the Flyers for the start of the 2024-25 season. Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period first reported Mishukov's early departure from the KHL, and Charlie O'Connor of PHLY Sports later confirmed the report.
Rumors of Mishukov terminating his contract with the KHL gained momentum in May when Arthur Kairulin of Russian outlet Sport Express reported that Mishukov planned to “continue his career in Philadelphia.” Since Kairulin's report, Mishukov has been periodically posting photos of himself in a Flyers uniform on his Instagram account, adding fuel to the fire.
Mishukov's arrival has the potential to change the Flyers' future for years to come. The 19-year-old winger is one of the most prolific U-20 prospects to have played in the KHL. While on loan to HK Sochi during the 2023-24 season, he recorded 19 goals and 41 points in 47 games, falling just two points away from breaking the KHL's all-time scoring record by a player under the age of 20.
The Flyers have been tight-lipped about Mishukov's early arrival — luring Russian players from the KHL to North America is difficult, as the Ivan Fedotov fiasco proved — but Flyers general manager Daniel Briere has expressed optimism about Mishukov's future in Philadelphia.
“We'll just have to decide what they're going to do with him,” Briere said of Miskov during his pre-draft press conference on Thursday.
“Our mindset is that we will still go into next season without him. He has two years left on his contract. If something changes between today and then, we will definitely be happy. There is not much news about that. We read what is going on and hope for the best.”
What happens next? First, Michikoff officially He will be released by the KHL and then will have to sign an entry-level contract before officially joining the Flyers. If these two contracts are finalized, the Flyers will have a new face for their franchise.
After being drafted, Mishkov made his goals clear.
“My biggest wish is to come to Philadelphia and help them win the Stanley Cup.”
He is one step closer to achieving his goal.
This is a developing story, stay with Broad Street Hockey for the latest updates.
