Although his sophomore season was largely considered a lost cause just weeks ago, Philadelphia Flyers starlet Matvei Michkov has completely changed the tune on his year, and the Flyers' turnaround and playoff berth has coincided with that.
By now, we've probably heard it all. Coming into training camp out of shape, the left wing vs. right wing debates, the quality of linemates, and the lackluster skating.
Despite all the noise, Michkov, 21, has played his best hockey for the Flyers at the apex of the playoff push, and that is ultimately what matters most.
Since the Flyers returned from the Olympic break in late February, the Russian phenom was Philadelphia's most prolific player, scoring seven goals and 22 points over the final 26 games of the regular season despite ranking sixth in total ice time amongst Flyers forwards, per Natural Stat Trick.
Excluding the power play and 4-on-4, Michkov is still king, having produced four goals and 14 points to pace the Flyers down that same stretch.
Penalties are and have been an issue for the youngster, yes, but Trevor Zegras actually took 14 minor penalties over the Flyers' last 26 games while being less productive offensively than his Russian counterpart.
For as much noise as there was around Michkov and the way he was being treated and utilized by Tocchet--which culminated in an impromptu media availability from GM Danny Briere--the kid wasn't fazed at all.
Michkov put his head down, worked with the tools he was given, and dragged his team to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in six years.
If we go back to the NHL standings from Feb. 22, the Flyers were 25-20-11, sitting 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 3-4-3 record in their last 10 games.
At that point, only the New York Rangers (151) and New Jersey Devils (146) had found the back of the net less than the Flyers (167) did among teams in the East.
Fast forward to today, and the Flyers wrapped up their season on a 7-3-0 run and are a more modest 10th in the East in scoring.
The late addition of Porter Martone helped, to be fair, but the rest was Michkov and his center, Noah Cates, strapping on their work boots and going for the gusto.
And with that, the debate is settled: 2025 training camp is a thing of the past, and Michkov is a star right winger in the making for the long haul.
The Flyers are a playoff team.