One of the biggest early-season talking points for the Philadelphia Flyers has been how head coach Rick Tocchet is managing second-year forward Matvei Michkov. Despite being one of the team’s most dynamic offensive weapons, Michkov has spent stretches of recent games on the bench late in the third period — a decision that’s sparked plenty of discussion among fans and analysts.
Through five games, Michkov has recorded one goal and one assist, both on the power play, while his average ice time has dropped from 16:41 per game last season to 14:50 this year. Tocchet continues to rely on him in man-advantage situations, but his five-on-five usage has decreased, especially in close games.
In the Flyers’ 5-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on October 20, Michkov logged 16:15 of ice time across 20 shifts and registered an assist on Travis Konecny’s second-period goal that extended the Flyers’ lead to 3-1. However, once again, he remained on the bench for much of the final stretch as Philadelphia closed out the victory.
Tocchet, known for his emphasis on structure and accountability, has been open about what he expects from the young Russian winger:
“He has just got to differentiate when is the time to take off and when is the time we need him to hang in there. I get it, he wants to be an offensive player, but you can’t take off when we don’t have the puck. We’re trying to create a culture here — it’s not about one player. But he is obviously a special guy that we’ve got to hone his talents. But it has got to be somewhat in a team game.”
At the same time, Tocchet has been quick to credit Michkov for his effort and willingness to improve:
“He’s willing to do it because I think his last two practices were great. He did video again today. He came up to us and said, ‘Coach, I need video.’ He’s talking about details, and he said his legs felt better the last couple of days, which is good.”
While the Flyers continue to find ways to win, Tocchet’s management of Michkov’s ice time — and the balance between development and production — remains one of the defining storylines of Philadelphia’s young season. How he handles that balance could shape both the Flyers’ offensive identity and Michkov’s long-term growth.