![]() ![]() “I don’t want to see it that way,” Briere said. But he did slip in another telling aside during his answer. 22) via the Ivan Provorov trade wouldn’t have much of an impact on his willingness to take the risk on Michkov. In other words, the Flyers appear to be motivated to fully explore the Michkov possibility over the next week before making their final call - which would be a waste of valuable time if they have already ruled out the idea of selecting him.īriere contended that their acquisition of a second first-round pick in the draft (No. ![]() “We do talk to players on his team, we’ve talked to coaches – our staff have talked to – so we’ve done a lot of our background, and we’ll spend time with him and his family, and get a comfort level and then make a decision appropriately,” Flahr said. And the organization as a whole has more than done its due diligence otherwise. Flyers scout Ken Hoodikoff is based in Russia with the ability to provide on-the-ground insights and observations regarding Michkov. Briere and Flahr both said they already have lots of information on the 5-foot-10 winger even though people at the top of the organization weren’t able to meet with or scout Michkov in person this season. The Flyers, Briere confirmed, expect to be able to meet with Michkov in person in Nashville in the days leading up to the draft. On Thursday, they didn’t seem like they were ruling out the possibility of taking the plunge. The same geopolitical factor - Russia’s war with Ukraine - that prevented Michkov from participating in international tournaments against his peers this season also adds another unknown variable: whether Michkov might not be allowed to leave his country to play in the NHL even after his KHL contract concludes.Īs a result, there’s at least a chance that the Flyers will have a very tricky decision to make when they are on the clock. Ranking the best players available for Day 2īut the complications of Michkov’s situation go well beyond a three-year contract commitment overseas.He is from and plays in Russia, and is signed to a KHL contract that lasts for three more seasons. If he was living and playing in North America right now, there would be little chance he could slip to the No. Michkov is near-universally regarded as a top-five talent in the draft. “We’re trying to get as much information, and we’ll spend a little bit of time with him (in Nashville), and we’ll try to get as much information as we can and make our decision after that,” Briere said. But on Thursday morning, when Briere and assistant GM Brent Flahr spoke to the local media to discuss the 2023 NHL Draft, they sure sounded like they were speaking on behalf of a destination that makes a significant amount of sense as a Michkov landing spot. ![]()
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