Report: Flyers’ Matvei Michkov wants ‘a new start elsewhere’

The rocky relationship between the Philadelphia Flyers and young winger Matvei Michkov may finally be reaching a breaking point.

According to a report from NHL insider Kevin Weekes of ESPN, Michkov would prefer to have a fresh start with another team, with Weekes referring to him as a “very, very much in-demand potential trade target.”

Michkov is in his third NHL season after the Flyers selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Michkov made the jump to North America after spending the 2023-24 season with HK Sochi of the KHL, and as a rookie, he notched 63 points on 26 goals and 37 assists in 80 games played, a year good enough for him to finish in fourth place in the voting for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie.

Last year, Michkov saw his ice time decline from 16:41 as a rookie to 14:50 under head coach Rick Tocchet, who publicly criticized Michkov for showing up to training camp out of shape, raising significant questions about the relationship between Philadelphia’s new head coach and one of its foundational young players. Michkov finished the 2025-26 campaign with 51 points in 81 games.

The Flyers performed well last season en route to an appearance in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the team has struggled mightily out of the gate this year. Philadelphia owns a 5-10-5 record, the worst in the Eastern Conference by points percentage.

Michkov has earned more ice time from Tocchet this season, up to 15:54 per game, and he leads the Flyers with 10 goals. Combined with his four assists, his point total sits at 14, good for a tie for the team lead alongside Trevor Zegras.

Michkov is set to be a restricted free agent upon the conclusion of this season. According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the Flyers have not been made aware of a direct trade request from Michkov’s camp.