Matvei Michkov is worth waiting for

Elite Prospects takes you into the Film Room™️ to look at Matvei Michkov's game, his upside, strengths, and weaknesses.
You can learn more about Matvei Michkov's game in this article: eprinkside.com...

[@RedBeard10025]

Some how some way my flyers got him at 7 Man I am so excited. I know it will probably be a few years before we see him but man!!! Worth the wait

[@aaaooo792]

Let’s go flyers!

[@sirfish9824]

We got him after just a year what an absolute steal.

[@tomscott302]

Flyers with the steal of the draft! Welcome to Philly!

[@darthollpheist1156]

He was ranked above Bedard before he got sick. He got mono and ended up dropping in rankings from it's effects. I also love that he asked to be a Flyer. So you know he's playing for the team he wants to play for. He told other teams not to take him and asked the Flyers to. Michkov vs Bedard is going to be a fun generational talent rivalry to watch.

[@WvlfCvlt]

He's a beast and now a Flyer! LET'S F*CKING GO!!

[@PhillyL492]

Future Philly legend

[@GatsbyCioffi]

WELCOME TO PHILADELPHIA!!

[@willywhitmore9189]

LET’S GO FLYERS

[@darthollpheist1156]

He'll be there next season.

[@TheGreekPoet]

He's unreal. Great video and breakdown. IMO, he and Bedard are on a level of their own far higher than anyone else in this draft class.

[@piano_in_the_afternoon9900]

I wouldn't underestimate Fantilli. He is quite a player as well.

[@TheGreekPoet]

@@piano_in_the_afternoon9900 I understand and respect your view. I'm just not sold on Fantilli. Considering he's already a grown man physically, he didn't dominate the WJC like I thought he should. He got stronger as the tourney went on, but wasn't a dominant player IMO. It's a shame we were not able to see Michkov at that tourney. But judging from his performance and numbers compared to greats like Ovechkin, I believe he's on a whole other level above Fanitlli, Carlsson and Smith. I guess time will ultimately tell. ⏲

[@lechnis]

@@TheGreekPoet I think Fantilli is better than Michkov, simply based on size, Michkov won't grow too much, obviously, it's hard to tell because of the lack of video, but they're both dynamic and exciting. Will be interesting to see how they pan out in the upcoming years.

[@TheGreekPoet]

@@lechnis We'll see. Although no one can say Michkov has size. He isn't a waif. The oft listed stats have him at 154lbs, when he's said that he's now actually 172lbs. In pics he looks stocky. Kinda like Martin St.Louis was/is. And he's way more talented than Fantilli. Like WAY more.

[@bsu88]

@@TheGreekPoet He's a grown man? Have you seen a picture of him without his uniform? I was built like him when I was 16 he has no muscle definition on his arms at all. Just dumb, lazy reasoning.

[@fetti_]

Here after my flyers got him! Couldnt be happier he fell into our laps at #7 and then hearing him say he wanted to go to the Flyers after meeting with us.

[@MattW30356]

Draft Demidov next year hopefully, his MHL teamate in St. Petersburg, Demidov put up 50 points in 38 games this past season. Imagine having two Russian stars who can score at will?

[@sylvanmw]

I was hoping for a video on Michkov, great work as always David.

[@The_Doo_Dah_Man]

LET’S FUCKING GO FLYERS!!!!!!!!!

[@evannovitzke]

This kid is probably going to be one of the best he seemed like right there with Bedard when they went head to head in the u18 tournament

[@Docker878]

Let's go Flyers!

[@alexfrenette2782]

And now he's a Philadelphia Flyer 😁

[@emperorggs3248]

That between the legs goal was absolutely filthy

[@cs2097]

Flyers lets goooo

[@MrVisde]

Best video I’ve seen on Michkov. Great hockey talent for sure. Whoever drafts him will have to be good with handling Russia. I don’t think it’s as simple as just waiting for his KHL contract to end. Why was he pressured to sign a long term deal in the first place? What’s up with his dad’s death? Will he be pressured to stay in Russia?

[@yossarian1385]

There are a lot of risks to be sure. He probably won't last until 7 where my Flyers draft, but if he does they (regrettably) shouldn't take him. The Russians have never forgotten the 1976 Flyers-Red Army game. Nor have they forgotten Mr. Snider's famous aversion to signing Russians. In fact, last year their army drafted our G prospect Fedotov to keep him from coming over.

[@MrVisde]

@@yossarian1385 yeah, Russian players have a lot of risks outside of hockey. Kaprizov wasn’t drafted until the FIFTH round for having similar questions about his contract. Best case scenario Michkov comes over in 3 years, but those are 3 important years into a players development. There’s risk involved with trusting the KHL to develop his skills and iron out the weaknesses in his game.

[@СергейВендин-б1ш]

It seems like his dad died because of heart attack and it's hard to predict now how this will influence his career. But it certainly will, because his dad was his personal coach and had a very close connection to Matvey. The situation with his contact is also kinda unpredictable, as he is tied with SKA St.Petersburg ruled by crazy clown Rotenberg. He appointed himself a head coach in the club (and kinda in the national team) and stands against young players leaving for the NHL. I don't know what methods they use to make the players stay, but many great russians ready for the NHL are under long contacts in SKA (defenseman Nikishin, for example). Probably they're just saying that players can become a star in the NHL only after becoming a star in the KHL and paying for the loyalty, but the story of goaltender Fedotov and CSKA shows that hockey authorities do have power to keep players in Russia by force (he was made to serve military duty instead of going to Flyers). In Russia we all hope to see russian players in the world's best league, but the perspectives are only getting worse :(

[@Darkyschanel]

​@@yossarian1385 if the sharks pass on him and pick will smith I hope the sharks keep their current attendance trend going in the same direction and end up being Arizona 2.0

[@aaaooo792]

@@yossarian1385 welp let’s hope you’re wrong but I’ll agree it’s risky. LGF!

[@dbo514]

Feels like exactly who the Habs have been waiting for for decades

[@jasvinder91]

May not want to draft Russians

[@dbo514]

@@jasvinder91 May not want to pass on a generational talent

[@Barney5G]

This is exactly what I’ve been saying. We haven’t had a player like this is my lifetime.

[@dbo514]

@@Barney5G There should be no hesitation, you pick him and you wait for him to come over.

[@benito789]

@@jasvinder91 Habs head scout is literally a Russian... I don't think they pass on him if still available... He's too good

[@Damphouse]

Very insightful. Hadn't seen much of Michkov and now I'm very impressed. Whoever gets him will be very lucky

[@DB-kl6we]

Welcome to the Flyers!

[@hoshilee4324]

Flyers should draft him

[@rickymartin875]

He will gone at #5. Nice try.

[@SourceSDK101]

@@rickymartin875 womp womp

[@hoshilee4324]

@@rickymartin875 say what lol

[@rickymartin875]

@@hoshilee4324 Make sure to watch Reinbacher clock some Leafs guy opening against the Loser Leafs? I’ll watch Matvei’s debut in 3 years? maybe? lol

[@itzryan1172]

​@@rickymartin875This aged well😂

[@Instanence]

Thanks for uploading this! Michkov looks amazing from everything I've read. I wonder if in 6-8 years we'll look back at him being the second best player in this draft.

[@HANDLE4798]

or the best player in the draft

[@ryanwasiak7050]

@@HANDLE4798 bedards a better all around player then him and is a much better skater at the moment. Not saying he couldn’t beat bedard but I think bedards on another lvl

[@HANDLE4798]

@@ryanwasiak7050 Yes Bedard is a better player right now but in 6-8 guess we will see but I think Michkov would of lit up juniors as bedard did as well. he had 20points in 27 khl at 17 which is insane. to put that in perspective Ovi had 24 points in 53 games in his draft year

[@coreysghostglowmask8650]

​@@ryanwasiak7050​​we dont know yet... YOU dont know yet... stop with that ... thats probably the 1st video of Michkov you ever seen... Michkov and Bedard for a lot of scouts was fighting for the 1st place, more than 1 year ago... they both improve a lot since last year...

[@ryanwasiak7050]

@@coreysghostglowmask8650 yup and yet bedard is the #1 player in the bedard across the board. Has a better 3 zone player the Michkov, a better skater, and a high compete level (meaning he goes into the dirty areas more). The literal only thing Michkov might have on bedard is his shot and even then it’s extremely close.

[@thogro99]

Now a Flyer

[@MatveiMichkov.]

Спасибо за уважение😊🤗

[@APawlack]

like you said, it's amazing to see he has such a high ability to bait with his dangles, not just pull them off for positioning. He waits for the defender to attack him, and expects it and times them well

[@AlexQC9]

It's really a no-brainer for me at 5. But if he's already picked up, that means that another one of the fab 5 is still available. Either way, it should be a exciting !

[@jrstringer9985]

It was a not a no brainer at 5. It was more the Habs went full donkey-brained lol

[@Zaghzackio]

Congrats on Reinbacher

[@yukonh9609]

This is why both his jerseys are waiting for his autograph when he arrives for Flyers training camp (#39 Flyers and Sochi)

[@Hassounah82]

I think he’s a perfect pick for Montreal, he’ll come when he’s ready and his game is more polished, and his body is more mature. He’ll beable contribute at a star level and push the team to another level

[@Cremeaphrodisiaque]

Love your insights on every prospects! So appreciated. I'm not a connoisseur of advanced stats but we often read and hear than Slavkovsky is not an analytical darling, yet we just saw him be second to Michkov in two separate graphs. My question is : what's going on? Thank you so much!

[@davidst-louis8315]

Slaf's underlying metrics were better than his production in his draft year. He was a bit unlucky and should have scored more. We didn't track metrics like this as much last year. Lassi has done a lot of great work on that front this year, including going back and tracking seasons of past top prospects. I think when people say that Slaf was not an analytical darling in his draft year, they refer to NHLe. Models that use production to project prospects to the NHL. If a prospect doesn't score a lot in Liiga, like Slaf, then he doesn't look good on models that use production to rank prospects.

[@nhltime4086]

David can I ask you what you thought of Slaf’s first season? Does it change your opinion at all on his upside? Thoughts?

[@Cremeaphrodisiaque]

@@davidst-louis8315 What a thoughtful and thorough answer. Très apprécié. Merci!

[@jdbankshot]

ivan fedotov just showed up. press conference with danny b about an hour ago. he's cleared to play.

[@cjcordoue]

Hope he’s wearing Orange and black in a few years!

[@The_Doo_Dah_Man]

He is my brother.

[@thomasmathieu9230]

whoever passes on him will regret it.

[@nickh3698]

Yes, my Sharks will definitely regret it if they do.

[@luvdvno]

Ghg

[@thathabsfan1431]

I will start this by saying I completely agree with you in the sense that michkov will be way better than a 5+ pick however this draft is very complicated I believe Matvei is by far the 2nd most promising prospect in this draft. I feel that with the advanced stats that Zachary Benson has, it will be hard to say no to him. With this being said the Montreal Canadiens should really think hard if both of these players are available.

[@alhecccharlebois-tejeda7666]

Well thats montral ahahahaha

[@MorbidMonk]

Well that comment aged well.

[@JD-jc8gp]

I think hockey sense is the most important factor when comparing talented prospects. It's all about making the most of your skills and if your vision and creativity are limited it won't matter how hard your shot is or how good your stride is. For this reason alone I like him more than Fantilli. I see that EP has correctly identified hockey sense as Michkov's strongest trait and it's what, to me, sets him apart. For the same reason, it's baffling to me that so many scouting services have Fantilli above Michkov, which I would assume is strongly motivated by the so-called Russian factor. But the Russian factor really doesn't apply all that much to elite players, all of who want to be in the best league in the world. No exceptions. Michkov has said on the record that he wants to play in the NHL, so the so-called "risk" narrative I keep seeing in the social media seems to be innuendo. It's also not the only kind of innuendo I've seen regarding Michkov. Some pundits have spread baseless rumours about Michkov, the most recent of which (I think by Elliotte Friedman) was that Michkov refused to meet with NHL teams. This was later shown to be false by Bob McKenze. These kinds of rumours and innuendo have a tendency of adding up and influencing people's perception. The hockey community sees smoke and assumes fire, so to speak. But the smoke in this case seems like a fairly basic case of a "fear of the other" or "fear of the unknown," as Russia and Russians have become in the collective Western consciousness in this time of geopolitical strife. However once you look at the facts objectively and at the historical precedent, the "risk" narratives falls apart. Michkov is a guy who obviously loves hockey, is extremely motivated and competitive and he wants to play in the NHL. He has no glaring weaknesses and appears to be a smart and well-spoken chap (I've watched interviews with him). There's also been some innuendo about his personality and I've noticed a certain cockiness about him. I'll give you my impression on him, which is that he appears to be very singularly-minded on the game, very devoted to it. Michkov is not Alex Daigle, I'll put it this way, and I think ultimately this is what should matter to every team that considers drafting him. Even those who knock him for his skating I think are splitting hairs. He may not be fast like Oliver Moore, but he's quick, his edge work is fantastic and he thinks he game much quicker than Moore (or anyone in this draft, for that matter). And then let's not forget the basics here: the guy's production is not just great, it's fantastic and right there with Bedard -- the guy who's been built up to be the undisputed number one in this draft. Even if we keep in mind the realities of geopolitics, how can anyone justify passing on this guy at the second selection, let alone the 5th? Teams would pass up on a guy who thinks the game this well? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[@lolroe]

Agreed on all points, and masterfully articulated if I may I add. My Ducks 🦆 will do well to draft him. Mr. Verbeek, make it happen! #FlyTogether

[@brianawilk285]

Im not worried about him wanting to come over here Im worried about Putin not letting him come over bcuz of the war.

[@JD-jc8gp]

@@brianawilk285 Russian players are coming over every year. Miroshnichenko for example is arriving this summer. Russia doesn't even have a draft. In fact, they don't even have a war economy at this point.

[@brianawilk285]

@@JD-jc8gp yes they do and Fedotov was arrested for not reporting for military service. Thats why they have no idea when they're getting their goalie and if the war wasn't an issue Michkov wouldn't have dropped so far, yeah he has a contract with another team but thats not a big deal considering most prospects go to college or play minor hockey for at least 2 years. Provy wasn't with the flyers for his first few years and even played a year in the AHL. You obviously don't know anything about the Russia/Ukraine war. Russia has close to a million men involved in the war wether its directly or just in logistics and they are in a war time economy. I follow several sources on that war and now that my team drafted Michkov Im gonna be even more paying attention to it.

[@brianawilk285]

@@JD-jc8gp maybe some guys have privilege our goalie sure didn't.

[@jerryboss68]

I can’t wait to see a Eklund Bystedt Michkov line!

[@sb0182]

If you guys pick Michkov… You’ll need to pick your 1st line center in the next couple of drafts. Bystedt is NOT a 1C

[@randytrevor3807]

Michkov/Bedard is going to be the next Ovechkin/Crosby

[@guillaumepoirier8365]

I can't seeing the Sharks pass on him!

[@rickymartin875]

I can!

[@filiplesko3262]

I just have a feeling that Mitchkov will became a better player than Connor Bedard

[@yossarian1385]

Thanks for all the great prospects analysis. Can you do one on Sandin-Pellikka? Imo, his vision, confidence, speed, & passing make him a rare prospect. There have been a lot of talented D prospects the last decade or so, but I can't think of anyone who dazzles quite like Sandin-Pellikka.

[@davidst-louis8315]

He's on the list!

[@yossarian1385]

@@davidst-louis8315 Awesome.

[@MrAndrewisgod]

Go flyers

[@lancegallant3647]

Pls Hughes 🙏 grab him up hes deff special

[@Pfsif]

I want to welcome Philadelphia's newest defensive specialist.

[@bigeric8334]

Ban wagon jerk

[@ericscottstevens]

Reminds me of Datsyuk, but Pavel had wider shoulders and sturdier frame that gave him that strength over the puck. Datsyuk was not a blazing fast, but really knew how to draw out defenders, slide by them along the boards, or just get the puck around them with superior stickhandling. . I think the only player Yzerman would trade up for as Bedard and Fantilli are spoken for already. Yet CBJ or SJ would be crazy to pass on him.

[@إسماعيلالأندلسي]

oh man if that scenario become true... I could sweat alot 😂😅😅 Yzerman moving for Michkov would be an absolute sweet hockey dream but it's unlikely maybe...

[@rickymartin875]

CBJ and SJ are small hockey markets compared to the storied Montreal Canadiens. Habs are in full rebuild and can afford to take a chance on Michkov and wait for him. Not so sure those other two mentioned teams are in that position.

[@Secretservice709]

Pavel Bure is who he reminds me of 😊

[@andrewbeatty7674]

Welcome to the San Jose Sharks

[@tallesttreeintheforest]

Michkov should go in the 2nd-4th range.. him dropping beyond that would be a mistake.

[@ESanchez-w6g]

thank you for this, I hope he's there at #5

[@realbeetlejuice]

Welcome to Montreal!

[@laboom60]

ROFL. flyers for life!

[@realbeetlejuice]

@@laboom60 No way, Montreal is taking him

[@laboom60]

@@realbeetlejuice uhhh what? He’s a Flyer LOL

[@theseanie9958]

He'll look good on a powerplay with bedard in a few years

[@rickymartin875]

You'll feel better if you have your Doctor prescribe Haldol for you.

[@Mralanyrx]

Everything screams generational talent imo, Kent Hughes do your thing.

[@SteveWhite-yi6ky]

Do your thing and skip right over him

[@svntn]

@@SteveWhite-yi6ky if he’s available at 5th, he would be a steal. gotta be braindead to pick anyone else.

[@TristanDeshaies]

Have a feeling we’re not gonna take him :(

[@SteveWhite-yi6ky]

@@TristanDeshaies not should we 😆

[@andrewz58]

And what would you offer the Ducks?

[@julienwisemanvezina7047]

welcome to montreal

[@willsmithmachine5244]

He is small, but he's similar than Brad Marchand. Strong with the puck and has very good balance.

[@davidst-louis8315]

Actually a decently good comp!

[@a7xSkateboarding]

Time to make Philly great again

[@bijanravanbakhsh3530]

i hope the hawks are somehow able to trade up and draft michkov. bedard is gonna need a wingman. knock on wood (although he would be nice too).

[@rickymartin875]

Give your head a shake.

[@licmysak7842]

We need this guy badly, baldy Hughes better not pass on him

[@williammccarrick6554]

Go Flyers!

[@dahabs123]

fingers crossed

[@rantfleu1390]

Matvei "Houdini" Michkov

[@anakinlapierre-tate4127]

First overall any other year

[@standintheback9085]

is there a link for that article (at the start of video)

[@Chavanka199]

I don't normally like to compare players, but Michkov might be the Russian Crosby

[@DustyAllStar9]

How do they not say Michigan Michkov lol

[@moneygambler2327]

Waiting for how long? Half a decade, decade?

[@bribbripnairbnab7301]

1 year.

[@naddyfrancis8650]

Cant pass over him if he's available. Risky or not.

[@Nasteno4ika]

Этот гол между ног просто 💥

[@blackrocks8413]

easy to say....but a lot can happen in between

[@genestdaniel9882]

The final rankings are late a little bit, they will miss time of exposure and you'll lose audience, its sad for a so great work.

[@stRemyMartin]

Praying to the hockey gods Habs select him at 5th... i doubt he will be available still though

[@rickymartin875]

Totally agree coming from another Martin! lol

[@bribbripnairbnab7301]

He was.😄

[@sRecollet]

very Peter Forsberg-esque or just me?

[@codysherwood5859]

He’s definitely going to the caps he even said he is playing right into the caps hands cause him and ovi are close when ovi went back to russia and such he ran into michkov to see how he is doing and also to see if he wants to join his team and ovi is michkov idol so…

[@rickymartin875]

Montreal Canadiens and Bobrov say NO to your bullshit call! LOL

[@Ripok1991]

Michkov's idol is Crosby😂

[@EDCPride]

Hello, Flyers Fan here… lol

[@BaneOfV]

I know it won't happen. No top 10 pick will happen probably, but man I hope Chicago trades down to take mitchkov and get another blue chip prospect/young star, I feel like it would be smart but won't happen

[@jacobrocks7]

I would select him over Fantelli

[@Dontulikecheese123]

It would be fitting for a russian superstar to wear the winged wheel. Oh wheel 🤷‍♂️🛞

[@kaprizovis34]

Please Kent

[@flyerphan28]

torts has to be gone by the time he comes over. i would think thats automatic since hes a holdover coach from chuck. but i dont want torts near this kid

[@thekillers1stfan]

Inb4 the Wings trade up to get him

[@salvymemeguy998]

Capitals will get him ALL CAPS 🦅 #8 NHL Draft pick 2023 I think

[@rickymartin875]

Ask your Doctor if Haldol is right for you?

[@tomchamberlain4329]

Absolutely no chance he drops to 9. But I really hope he does.... In reality I think he's going to the Sharks

[@rickymartin875]

Sharks are a small market team. They can't afford to wait 3 years for this guy.

[@brenreidy8763]

He'll be a Washington Capital after the draft. Washington has the best ties with the KHL and Russian players, plus Ovi will have a ton of bargaining power.

[@brenreidy8763]

@Hysterialyricsreactions LOL I know man. UGH. I was so confident. He looked so insanely upset when PHI took him. It made the entire room awkward. You can tell that Briere was nervous about the whole thing, too.

[@tulllguy]

@@brenreidy8763 upset, my ass. Dude was beaming with reporters after the pick.

[@brenreidy8763]

@@tulllguy Show me one photo of him "beaming" lol

[@tulllguy]

@@brenreidy8763 I watched after he was drafted, and he and his interpreter were all smiles with the interviewer. National press, not just the Philly press. He told the Flyers prior to the draft that he wanted to play here, they even shut down their practice facility for the day for him and his family to meet the brass. They wouldn't have drafted him otherwise. This is 100% facts. He'll NEVER play for the Caps. He says may play here in 2024, according to Seravalli. He also took a pic at the airport with a fan with smiles on his face. Sorry to burst your bubble. Lol.

[@scotteberline5458]

Red wings will get him

[@rickymartin875]

Ask your Doctor if Haldol is right for you?

[@holyspider9206]

I’m hoping he drops to the caps at 8th. Idk how our GM gets Russian players out of contracts and I’m sure it involves some back door handshakes, but he has a history of bringing over Russian players. It’s honestly his fastest route to the NHL. If given the chance, he’ll leave the KHL asap, but he doesn’t want to play on a bummy team . Also on a plus note, during an interview, michkov said it would be awesome to play with ovi but it’s not up to him where he gets drafted. Hopefully that’s a red flag to other GMs that he’ll stay in Russia if he doesn’t go to his desired team

[@rickymartin875]

Bobrov is with the Montreal Canadiens scouting team. Last time I checked, drafting at #5 trumps #8.

[@Eric.43]

Maybe he's a bust like slafkovsky 😮

[@rickymartin875]

A little early to be calling Slafkovsky a bust.

[@coreysghostglowmask8650]

Habs HQ... dont choke ffs

[@leppamiro]

If he falls to 8th, there's no way Capitals don't take him

[@bart49238]

No way he falls to 8 sorry

[@leppamiro]

@@bart49238 we have seen bigger surprises in draft. Wright was supposed to be the 1st pick last year but he fell all the way to 4th. Many teams might be scared because of the Russia factor

[@bart49238]

@@leppamiro there is no way bro telling u

[@codysherwood5859]

Nah sorry but michkov even said he is tryna maneuver his way down to 8th and be selected by the caps at the #8 spot cause when ovi went back to russia he also ran into michkov and asked him a few questions and was also pinning the question to join his team and ovi is michkov idol so I wouldn’t be shocked if the caps get him and + the caps don’t shy away from signing russians or taking russians in the draft their the team to beat when it comes to michkov he even said if ovi were to ask him to join his team he would say yes but after his 3 yr contract is up in the KHL but u never know he could possibly terminate it with ovi help and join the NHL quicker rather then later or whatnot

[@rickymartin875]

He won't fall to 8 so you have nothing to worry about.

[@zachmcphail1256]

Shark

[@rickymartin875]

No

[@xBLaRowe]

Please Yzerman go get this guy.

[@TheLeo22Time]

Matvei Michkov, you are a Washington Capital.

[@rickymartin875]

#5 pick trumps #8 pick. Sorry

[@bribbripnairbnab7301]

@@rickymartin875 And #5 passed on him. Double OOOPS.

[@josephbarbine1]

How is this different than what Lindros did when he refused to play for the Nordiques? Also, how is this a bamboozle? Teams can’t buy KHL contracts but players can. Every NHL team knows this, they could have requested an interview and the player can accept or refuse. The “secret” meeting was an approved meeting by the NHL, hosted at an official training facility. Also, shame on you for suggesting a theory that could put the player and/or his family in danger. Speculation, conspiracy theory and I’ll informed suggestions could put the person in actual danger. For your lack of reality to do this for clickbait is actually disgusting! Seriously thought of not giving you the time or day for it but my anger got the better in me. Hope you have a crappy year.

[@danielflood1040]

Habs fans seem to think we will pass on him at 5. No chance. More likely that he’s not available for us at 5.

[@J87169]

sharks are going to get him probably, unfortunate I really wanted the next Russian superstar in a blue blanc rouge jersey

[@mericanwit]

Gonna slide he won’t be released to the NHL

[@maxpatenaude2115]

San Jose (most likely)

[@Darkyschanel]

​@@maxpatenaude2115 I'm a sharks fan and that would be way too fortunate Mike Grier is going to drop the ball and mess up by picking will smith instead

[@jeremylortie3052]

@@Darkyschanel 100%. If Grier does that he's fucking braindead. Will Smith had such a good team around him I truly believe he's not gonna be a true #1 center in the big league.

[@unapologeticOne]

You know, my opinion has changed a lot in the past couple of days. I’ve been thinking about it a lot and now I want the Sharks to draft him. Even in a worst case scenario where he doesn’t even come to North America, they’ll still have a lot more top prospects between 2024-2027. Michkov was viewed as the best player in this draft by a lot of people just a little over a year ago. I think if you have the chance to draft him, you take that chance. The reward outweighs the risk and it ain’t even close. Sharks aren’t competing for at least 4-5 years so they need to take Michkov.

[@uncledamfee2347]

As A Sharks fan I fear they will go for a safer choice. But I think you HAVE to gamble on someone who would be considered the most skilled player ever drafted in Franchise History. I feel like Mike Grier is gonna take the safe buddy boston route and go for Smith (No way columbus doesnt take Carlsson), whilst a very good player is not a game changer like Michkov is. Plus the Sharks will be running contracts out, and gaining prospects and picks the next few years so by the time Michkov would be ready he would be seasoned, and the Sharks will be greatly improved!

[@jackbuschbaum]

I agree what is the point in taking Will Smith who will probably be 1 or 2 years away from NHL anyway. You always take the best player available. I will rage if Sharks don’t take Michkov

[@jeremylortie3052]

What scares me with Smith, is that he played with such a good US program (there is like 4 guys in the top 15). It's bound to happen that some of those guys overperformed with the talent on the team. The Sharks need to draft Michkov because he's simply the best player available if he drops at 4 and the Sharks are gonna be bad for at least 2 or 3 more years imo.

[@jackbuschbaum]

@@jeremylortie3052 I honestly don’t find too much difference between Smith, Leonard, and Perreault in terms of skill. Whereas Michkov is one of a kind. People also don’t understand that scoring is low as hell in the K, league leaders usually about a PPG if even that

[@sirfish9824]

@@jeremylortie3052man you guys must be pissed. He’s coming into the nhl the same year as smith maybe even sooner.

[@kingnastyyyyyy]

LETS GO FLYERS

[@mspacely6521]

Come to Detroit

[@WitWafer]

Welcome to Philadelphia

[@HarrisonTOtto]

Philly is not gonna regret this pick

[@brianawilk285]

Boy I cant wait to see this dude playing for the flyers. I cant remember a player with his type of skills playing for the flyers. I just hope the war doesn't affect him coming to the states.

[@yeehawyeehaw904]

welcome to philly cutie

[@jasoncoladonato1034]

Welcome to Philly baby!

[@maximusrusso8758]

I'll be disappointed if the habs dont take him, or Benson at the least. The talent after them is so much worse. Montreal needs a star and are willing to wait.

[@standforcanada4967]

Welcome to Philly 🎉

[@nadaduo1765]

Ducks should get him, people say you have to wait 3 years, big deal , their are plenty of high pick first rounders that go to college for 2 years, Logan Cooley just said he's going back to college for a second year, happens all the time

[@electrohouselover07]

Great video sir! God I hope he comes to the NHL soon. His situation in Russia freaking sucks ...