Flyers Don't Want to Trade Matvei Michkov; What Steps Are Next?

As has become the norm over the last three seasons, the Flyers are again the talk of the NHL world, this time with the bombshell report of Matvei Michkov likely to consider a fresh start elsewhere reaching public eyes and ears.

On the heels of yesterday's Michkov report, made by ESPN NHL insider Kevin Weekes, The Hockey News was told that the Flyers have no designs of trading the 21-year-old Russian phenom.

Of course, things can change depending on the severity of the situation; the Flyers were blindsided by Weekes's report, as were all of us here on the outside looking in. But, before a trade is even considered, the Flyers are going to work to try and mend the fences.

The two key Flyers figures who have the most work to do to remedy the situation will be president of hockey operations Keith Jones and general manager Danny Briere.

Those two traveled together for the Flyers' recent local game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, though it's unclear if either one has further accompanied the team on the road trip.

Briere, who just had the NHL GMs meeting in Toronto this week, is en route to re-joining the Flyers.

Jones and/or Briere, and potentially head coach Rick Tocchet, will need to sit down, assess the situation, and gauge the temperature with Michkov himself.

According to PHLY's Charlie O'Connor, Weekes's report did not come from Michkov's agent, Paul Theofanous, so another wrinkle is going to be figuring out what source is credible enough to give Weekes the confidence to report on this information.

The Flyers are expected to comment on the situation in some capacity in the near future, according to team sources, though specifics are sparse given the sudden nature of this development.

Time is not on the Flyers' side, of course, as they will not be home for a game or practice for another four days.

The Flyers play the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton on Wednesday night, and with a report as volatile as this rocking the organization, it's not something the front office can, or is willing to, brush off until it's convenient to address.

After all, the Michkov noise has been there for years, and last season, it reached peak volume with the highly-publicized comments from Tocchet on Michkov's physical condition.

This year, Michkov has left little in doubt, starting off the 2026-27 season with a torrid 10 goals in 20 games while averaging 15:54 of ice time a night, just eight seconds more than his career average of 15:46.

Even in his rookie season under the notoriously difficult John Tortorella, Michkov averaged 16:41 a night.

The ball is very much in the Flyers' court now, and it's up to Briere, Jones, and potentially Tocchet, to cool the situation in a matter of a few days.