Despite some concerns over Matvei Michkov, Arizona Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong fails to rule out the possibility of selecting the Russian phenom.
The biggest mystery of the 2023 NHL Draft has to be Russian phenom Matvei Michkov.
The 18-year-old right winger has the potential to be a superstar in the NHL as he has been compared skill wise to the consensus first overall pick Connor Bedard.
With HK Sochi of the KHL this past season, Michkov had nine goals, 11 assists and 20 points in 27 games. While his stats don’t necessarily show it, Michkov has a powerful shot and soft hands with the puck which makes him arguably the most offensively gifted prospect behind Bedard.
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However, the majority of teams have not even watched him play live or have even met with the prospect, raising some concerns about whether he is worth picking high in the first round. His character has also come into question over the past few weeks.
Michkov could be picked as high as second overall but he can also drop outside of the top-ten if teams are too worried to take a risk on him.
The Arizona Coyotes have both the sixth and 12th overall pick in the first round and while general manager Bill Armstrong has reportedly not met with Michkov, he also has not ruled out the possibility of selecting the young Russian forward.
“Nobody's seen him, he's a ghost,” Armstrong said. “So we have not met with him at this point but you never know. It's top secret information too so not sure if I can answer that completely.”
If any team should pick Michkov it is the Coyotes. With two first round picks, Arizona has the least to lose by picking Michkov since they will be able to select another top-tier prospect.
If Michkov is as skilled as some scouts are giving him credit for, the Coyotes should highly consider selecting him with the sixth pick if the opportunity arises.
It is a risky pick though. Aside from the lack of knowledge on Michkov, he is also expected to play in the KHL for another three years so the earliest he would even be able to come to the NHL would be in 2026. For a team like the Coyotes that are starting to take the next step in their rebuild and hope to be a competing team in the near future, three years is a long time to be waiting.
The mystery of Michkov’s draft status will finally be solved tonight. If he is still on the board at the Coyotes selection, Armstrong will have a very difficult decision to make.