Do the Flyers Need to Offer Matvei Michkov an Elite Center? – Hockey Writers – Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers' need is dire prospect-wise and on their current roster it seems obvious. The average here, at the top, is weak compared to most teams in the NHL. But does that really matter to someone like young phenom Matvei Michkov? And is it really so? Let's talk about it.

Top Players Who Raised Their Institutions

There are other examples of top wing players who have worked their magic without a production center on their side, which ties in with the Flyers a bit. The two best players in the sport according to the NHL Network, Nikita Kucherov and Matthew Tkachuk, have been surprisingly successful without their dominant players. Let's look at their situations.

While Kucherov was very young in his career, he played most of his minutes with center Tyler Johnson. Forming a trio with Ondrej Palat, the trio was key to the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2014-15 campaign that eventually led to a Stanley Cup final appearance. Playing nearly 700 minutes of equal energy next to each other, the “Triplets Line” were inseparable.

While the players around Kucherov cheered each other on, they never took action after starting to play with him a little bit. Almost ten years later, his former teammates have never matched their points since 2014-15-Kucherov exploded, through.

At the end of the day, we can attribute the beauty of Triplets Line to Kucherov. In fact, he was the best player on that team, averaging 80 goals in the regular season to just 41. If he had played as much time as captain Steven Stamkos, he would have scored 84 points—no one on the team had 73.

At the age of 21, Kucherov was the best player on the best team in the Eastern Conference and the best offense in the NHL. He wasn't doing this focusing on a genius like Stamkos, but a secondary player. Right now, Brayden Point has been better than Johnson, but it's still a Kucherov show—he's greatly improved his previous numbers.

In a similar situation, we can look to Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers. Since making the Sunshine State his new home in 2022-23, he has played 57 percent of his ice time with second-line center Sam Bennett in place of two-star Aleksander Barkov. Seeing the team go to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2023 and win the championship in 2024, the plan worked.

Related: Remembering Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau for Their Lasting Impact

In the ice time he has shared with Bennett over the past two seasons, Tkachuk has averaged over 28 points at even strength. It's clear which player benefited the most from this, as, when the two were split, Tkachuk had a plus-29 average in similar ice numbers while Bennett was more savvy with numbers and had an even average.

This isn't quite the case with Kucherov, as today's Barkov is a tier or two above the 2014-15 Stamkos, but Tkachuk has had a huge impact over the past few seasons. Able to turn any line into one of the best in the league, he doesn't need much help to do that. With Tkachuk, his teammates Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe form one of the strongest offensive trios in the league. When a superstar is out of the equation, there is a huge backlash.

The dynamic between players like Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz, William Nylander and John Tavares, and Kirill Kaprizov with his centers over the years is less common but worth mentioning. It's not often that the best wing players in the league on the best teams take over and form an elite line regardless of who is around them. Fourth line centers are not included in the mix for maximum results, but second line winners may be all that is needed in some situations.

Does Michkov Need More Help?

I brought up the Flyers' need for top centers recently. And, if they have to, they should try to go out and get those in any way possible—at almost no cost. At the same time, though, if Michkov is to become what his unparalleled dominance in Russia suggests he will be, he can't do it without this kind of help.

The Flyers have an obligation to build their team beyond where it is now. Finally, they probably will—Michkov is 19 years old. But it's important to note that the Flyers can compete even if they don't get another star. The team's choice not to pursue a “true” rebuild by not trading players like Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, and others in the 2023 offseason tells us how they view the young Russian.

The Flyers failed in 2010 with Claude Giroux because they were never in a position to win. When he became the face of the franchise in 2011-12, they had no prospects, bad contracts, and a terrible defense when Chris Pronger played his last game at the end of the 2011 calendar year. There just wasn't time to build a good roster for Giroux, as he was in his mid-20s when things went from good to bad.

Today, the Flyers have some great prospects and some young contributors to the program. Controlling puck possession at the opponent's level last season, there is hope that the current team can compete in the playoffs. As Michkov develops and hopefully blossoms into a top player while the rest of the team improves at their own pace, the sense here is that this borderline playoff team will become a Stanley Cup contender in the long run. If you consider someone like Kucherov's case, perhaps the latter is not as far-fetched as it seems.

Since general manager (GM) Danny Briere was given that role in 2023, he and other key decision makers have never denied that the process will take time. There is some truth in that, but Michkov can change their plans a lot. Maybe before they really start adding to the team and putting everything together, like making a high-quality center, Michkov will have promoted them. Coming up sooner than expected is the ideal situation here.

Do Luchanko & Michkov Work as a Duo?

I was very critical of the Flyers' selection of Jett Luchanko at 13th overall (mostly because of their inaction and not because of the player) this summer. But I think I was wrong to do that. While Zeev Buium has the potential to be the best defenseman, a player they chose not to suit up with the Minnesota Wild, there is something wrong with the Luchanko-Michkov duo.

In Kucherov's case, he scored one of the best 60 points in the sport at age 21 with Johnson by his side. Again, that's a good second-line center in his prime, but not at the level of someone like Stamkos. Kucherov was so good that he didn't really need anyone else to drive him to play and fall back on that—him. it was a weapon.

On the surface, I believe that Luchanko, the center, can be similar to Johnson but maybe even better. The former is full of energy, just waiting to break out of his 18-year campaign with the Guelph Storm. Whether he lives up to that 13-overall hype in 2024-25 remains to be determined, but he seems poised to do it. The offensive talent all over the place here is exactly what Michkov needs—Luchanko is a great skater and passer, has a good mind, and doesn't shy away from shooting the puck. I think that's what the team was hoping for, too, when they “reached” for a young position player in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Sometimes, it's not about putting your best player with your star—it's about finding the right player. I'm always willing to tell things the way I see them, even if they're not good or question the ability of the Flyers. But this is something I really believe in. Like Johnson before him, maybe Luchanko isn't a bad teammate for Michkov after all. Maybe he is complete partner.

I'm jumping the gun here a bit, but this goes to show how Michkov's elusive upside can change the game for the Orange and Black. It gives them so much flexibility that the work of the front office is almost done.

The leaflets said that Michkov is not their “savior” and that they will do everything to help him. I don't doubt that, but I also think he'll end up being the savior anyway. If he is, the streets of Philadelphia might just be painted orange one day.