Paul Bissonnette’s take on the Michkov ice time discourse.
January 16, 2026
Paul Bissonnette’s take on the Michkov ice time discourse.
25 comments
goddammit biz, don’t make me agree with you
edit: where tocchet is fucking up is playing him LW, imo. i think last night should be proof of that.
Ugh. It’s as if he only looked at the numbers and not what those numbers could mean.
What would cause Michkov to play more than 16 minutes? How about trailing and chasing the game, especially in the 3rd period. Them being 1-7 is why he’s playing more than 16 minutes. Him playing more than 16 minutes isn’t why they’re 1-7.
He’s only played over 16 minutes in 8 games this year? Christ were a joke. What a sample size biz. I wonder how you get better conditioning…. Maybe by… playing more hockey possibly? Hmmm.
Keep in mind this guy had a whole revelation when he discovered in 2025 that Pluto was no longer a planet
“I watched one game, let me tell you why you’re wrong”
Ryan Whitney is such a huge piece of shit
Idc what the minutes are they don’t mean shit playing on a third line with nobody around him.
Edit:
Just look at the difference with him and Barkey together last night
These are tocchets buddies
The thing I’ve noticed with a lot of the people (Kurz, Cohen, Biz to name a few) that go on these type of rants is that their arguments fall apart almost immediately when they start trying to explain *why* Michkov deserves his current treatment. Like here he basically just goes “yup he needs work and his legs are not there right now”, with the former being vague as Hell and the latter basically being disputable alone via NHL Edge tracking.
As for the idea that people are making it “too much about Michkov while the team is competitive” (as Biz followed up in a later tweet)? I can only think these people are only willing to make assumptions based off of the immediate present and nothing else. Our fanbase just watched this team implode for half a decade while making decisions such as trading the longest tenured athlete in the city and turning down the 2nd leading scorer in the league who actively wanted to take a discount to come here, all so we can rebuild with new young talent. So yes, if *only one fucking player* we’ve drafted in the last half a decade is an NHL regular on this team and they’re not being managed to the best of their ability, yes it’s somewhat obvious that the fans aren’t going to be pumped to see the team in a wildcard spot because Dan Vladar and Christian Dvorak were better additions than expected.
Of course that last paragraph would’ve been a hypothetical response a week ago for the most part, now we’re seeing what this team looks like without Vladar and less puck luck, and it certainly isn’t competitive
Biz has let the fame get to his head. His ego has boosted to 40x it’s original size and now he has no idea how to act.
Lol no way he’s as good as Macklin.
Nice toxic analysis with a little e-high five from RW.
Probably some validity in it, but I’m sure the numbers and the issues are deeper.
I rewind back to last year when a lot of people thought Michkov’s conditioning had trailed off and thought he was gassed. Then Brad Shaw took over and he found a second wind.
I wish there was a broader review here to determine the real issues.
Tocchet’s buddies defending Tocchet
I’m just not going to give these guys clicks or listens on this topic.
I stopped reading after ‘riddle me this’
We get it Paul. You have a crush on Tocchet.
I saw Bisonette get his ass kicked twice in a game against the Reading Royals. Dude was a chump then, and he’s only gotten chumpier since.
I was even saying last year his skating looks so much more labored than other players, he’s always slumped over more and looks to work much harder to propel himself than someone like TK or Tippett or Barkey. But I think it’s more of a utilization problem rather than ice time, he hasn’t been with line mates that can carry the puck consistently and the Power Play has been just god awful with the system of give it to the winger let them dick around for 8 seconds and send it for a point shot.
He needs space to work and no one has been able to open up space for him.
I feel like everything bissonette said is exactly what the flyers fans have been saying though? Seems a little manipulative.
Notice how he didn’t even try to mention WHO he was on a line with.
I hope you guys realize Whitney was being sarcastic… he addresses that on the pod too.
It’s called a sophomore slump , Myrtetus even explains it in depth. Everyone needs to chill out and take a deep breath…
Anyone watching the games knows Michkov is having an awful season. Genuinely think giving him more TOI playing this way would damage Toccs credibility in the locker room. Preferential treatment based on anything but merit is risky business
Sad that Tocchet needs mouthpieces on this and that the org is obviously ok with this approach. What a completely asisine coaching hire by Briere and Jones. This absolutely will not work out long term.
When they trade Michkov for peanuts in the future, what the hell core did Briere and Jones even build? The only other clearly important future piece I see is Martone. When was Claude Giroux traded again? What are they even doing?
Hes an entertainer not an analyst
Holy shit. Its like Biz insulted all of your mothers personally. Earn your ice time is a valid argument. And he hasn’t. Hes lazy at times, cheats at times, and looks just lost at times. And you expect a team in the playoffs hunt to keep giving a player like that minutes? I get it, this isnt the year and its more important to get Michkov reps. Maybe adversity is what a kid like him needs. Let him struggle and figure it out. Once he does he will have earned the ice time.
People in the industry and who have been playing the sport at a higher level for decades: He needs a little work, but he’ll be fine.
Janitors and dentists: He’d have 100 point season if he played 20+ minutes! He is being held back by the coach!
25 comments
goddammit biz, don’t make me agree with you
edit: where tocchet is fucking up is playing him LW, imo. i think last night should be proof of that.
Ugh. It’s as if he only looked at the numbers and not what those numbers could mean.
What would cause Michkov to play more than 16 minutes? How about trailing and chasing the game, especially in the 3rd period. Them being 1-7 is why he’s playing more than 16 minutes. Him playing more than 16 minutes isn’t why they’re 1-7.
He’s only played over 16 minutes in 8 games this year? Christ were a joke. What a sample size biz. I wonder how you get better conditioning…. Maybe by… playing more hockey possibly? Hmmm.
Keep in mind this guy had a whole revelation when he discovered in 2025 that Pluto was no longer a planet
“I watched one game, let me tell you why you’re wrong”
Ryan Whitney is such a huge piece of shit
Idc what the minutes are they don’t mean shit playing on a third line with nobody around him.
Edit:
Just look at the difference with him and Barkey together last night
These are tocchets buddies
The thing I’ve noticed with a lot of the people (Kurz, Cohen, Biz to name a few) that go on these type of rants is that their arguments fall apart almost immediately when they start trying to explain *why* Michkov deserves his current treatment. Like here he basically just goes “yup he needs work and his legs are not there right now”, with the former being vague as Hell and the latter basically being disputable alone via NHL Edge tracking.
As for the idea that people are making it “too much about Michkov while the team is competitive” (as Biz followed up in a later tweet)? I can only think these people are only willing to make assumptions based off of the immediate present and nothing else. Our fanbase just watched this team implode for half a decade while making decisions such as trading the longest tenured athlete in the city and turning down the 2nd leading scorer in the league who actively wanted to take a discount to come here, all so we can rebuild with new young talent. So yes, if *only one fucking player* we’ve drafted in the last half a decade is an NHL regular on this team and they’re not being managed to the best of their ability, yes it’s somewhat obvious that the fans aren’t going to be pumped to see the team in a wildcard spot because Dan Vladar and Christian Dvorak were better additions than expected.
Of course that last paragraph would’ve been a hypothetical response a week ago for the most part, now we’re seeing what this team looks like without Vladar and less puck luck, and it certainly isn’t competitive
Biz has let the fame get to his head. His ego has boosted to 40x it’s original size and now he has no idea how to act.
Lol no way he’s as good as Macklin.
Nice toxic analysis with a little e-high five from RW.
Probably some validity in it, but I’m sure the numbers and the issues are deeper.
I rewind back to last year when a lot of people thought Michkov’s conditioning had trailed off and thought he was gassed. Then Brad Shaw took over and he found a second wind.
I wish there was a broader review here to determine the real issues.
Tocchet’s buddies defending Tocchet
I’m just not going to give these guys clicks or listens on this topic.
I stopped reading after ‘riddle me this’
We get it Paul. You have a crush on Tocchet.
I saw Bisonette get his ass kicked twice in a game against the Reading Royals. Dude was a chump then, and he’s only gotten chumpier since.
I was even saying last year his skating looks so much more labored than other players, he’s always slumped over more and looks to work much harder to propel himself than someone like TK or Tippett or Barkey. But I think it’s more of a utilization problem rather than ice time, he hasn’t been with line mates that can carry the puck consistently and the Power Play has been just god awful with the system of give it to the winger let them dick around for 8 seconds and send it for a point shot.
He needs space to work and no one has been able to open up space for him.
I feel like everything bissonette said is exactly what the flyers fans have been saying though? Seems a little manipulative.
Notice how he didn’t even try to mention WHO he was on a line with.
I hope you guys realize Whitney was being sarcastic… he addresses that on the pod too.
It’s called a sophomore slump , Myrtetus even explains it in depth. Everyone needs to chill out and take a deep breath…
Anyone watching the games knows Michkov is having an awful season. Genuinely think giving him more TOI playing this way would damage Toccs credibility in the locker room. Preferential treatment based on anything but merit is risky business
Sad that Tocchet needs mouthpieces on this and that the org is obviously ok with this approach. What a completely asisine coaching hire by Briere and Jones. This absolutely will not work out long term.
When they trade Michkov for peanuts in the future, what the hell core did Briere and Jones even build? The only other clearly important future piece I see is Martone. When was Claude Giroux traded again? What are they even doing?
Hes an entertainer not an analyst
Holy shit. Its like Biz insulted all of your mothers personally. Earn your ice time is a valid argument. And he hasn’t. Hes lazy at times, cheats at times, and looks just lost at times. And you expect a team in the playoffs hunt to keep giving a player like that minutes? I get it, this isnt the year and its more important to get Michkov reps. Maybe adversity is what a kid like him needs. Let him struggle and figure it out. Once he does he will have earned the ice time.
People in the industry and who have been playing the sport at a higher level for decades: He needs a little work, but he’ll be fine.
Janitors and dentists: He’d have 100 point season if he played 20+ minutes! He is being held back by the coach!
Who to believe?