It could be a while before Matvei Michkov makes his debut with the Flyers, but it will be worth the wait.

The Philadelphia Flyers wowed the crowd at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville during Round 1 of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, selecting Russian winger and offensive dynamo Matvei Michkov, who is regarded by some as the top Russian prospect in recent memory, with the No. 7 overall pick.

Michkov's talent is undeniable. The 18-year-old forward is coming off an outstanding nine-goal, 20-point campaign with HC Sochi (while on loan from SKA St. Petersburg) of Russia's Kontinental Hockey League — arguably the top hockey league in the world outside of North America.

At the 2021 U18 World Championship, he was named tournament MVP after posting 12 goals and 16 points in seven games to lead Russia to a gold medal. A few months later, he guided Russia to another gold medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where logged a whopping eight goals and 13 points in just five games.

At the age of 16, he broke Alexander Ovechkin's record as the youngest player ever to suit up for Russia's national team, and this past season, he went on to score at a higher rate than Ovechkin did during his draft year.

Michkov, by all metrics, has the potential to become a franchise-changing player one day. But when will "one day" actually come?

That's the million-dollar question.

Michkov is under contract with SKA St. Petersburg until 2026. Will fans have to wait three years to see him play in the NHL? Or will he be able to join the Flyers before his KHL contract expires?

At this point, even he is unsure. But he's adamant about coming to North America immediately once he's able.

"To be honest, I can't say for sure (when I'll come to North America)," Michkov told the media in Nashville via a translator. "I do have a contract, but I'm hoping as soon as I can get out, I'm gonna be coming over."

His contract dilemma hasn't exactly been a secret. Every high-ranking executive of every NHL franchise (and even most casual fans) knew about Michkov's contract conundrum. That, in large part, is why he slid to the Flyers at No. 7.

For the Flyers, though, his KHL contract isn't an issue.

The Flyers are now in the early stages of a rebuild, so they aren't exactly in a rush to get Michkov on NHL ice. But when he does eventually come over, he's confident he'll make an immediate impact.

"I guess that means we're gonna start winning when I get here," he said with a laugh.

Flyers general manager Danny Briere made it his mission to add an elite-level talent to his club's pipeline. To him, Michkov is absolutely worth the gamble.

And the wait.

"I know what everybody knows, is that he has a three-year contract with St. Petersburg. That's the timeline we were told, and we'll deal with that. That's not something that scared us to have the chance to take a player of his caliber at pick No. 7," said Briere.

Briere hasn't hesitated to re-shape the Flyers' roster since being named full-time general manager in May. Thus far, he's traded away Ivan Provorov and Kevin Hayes — two of the Flyers' top producers over the last several seasons — and it's possible, if not likely, that he'll move on from several more notable players as the offseason progresses.

Briere isn't interested in building a competing team next season or the season after. His focus is on building a juggernaut years down the road, and the addition of Michkov will help the Flyers reach that point once he arrives.

"We've said it to our fans that it's gonna be a process, that we weren't gonna turn this around overnight, that it would take time. I think (Michkov) is a clear example of that," said Briere.

"We took a big swing, but we hope that this turns out to be a home run. Time will tell. It's a little early. But we feel when he's ready to come, he could really be a difference-maker. That's the risk that we were willing to take, to wait a little bit to hopefully have a difference-maker on our hands."

While his focus remains on producing in the KHL, Michkov already has his sights set on winning a Stanley Cup — a goal his late father, Andrei, set for him before his passing in April. Like the Flyers, Michkov will have to wait a bit longer before he'll have a chance at completing that goal. But once he arrives, it will be all systems go.

"I think my biggest wish and biggest expectation is I want to come to Philadelphia and I want to help them win a Stanley Cup. I know we've been waiting a long time for one, and that's my goal.

"That's why I'm coming."