Just one year after being the highest-scoring rookie forward in the NHL, the Philadelphia Flyers winger is struggling to find the same success this season, with just three goals and eight points in 15 games.
Although he’s managed to score in back-to-back games, he went goalless in the previous nine games while managing five assists.
His struggles haven’t gone unnoticed from teammates, specifically his captain, who has stressed that Michkov must prioritize playing the “right way” for the benefit of the team and trust that the goals will come again as a result.
“He’s a great goal scorer, has a lot of skill, I think you just got to find a way to contribute to helping the team win in other ways when you’re struggling,” Flyers captain Sean Couturier told reporters after Saturday’s overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators. “You’re not always going to be scoring goals every game, so …
“I’ve seen improvement in the way he’s not cheating as much and being on the right side of pucks. I’m sure it’s a little different for him. If he sticks to playing more of the right way, I think it’s going to be better for the team overall.”
When later asked if it appears that a weight has been lifted off Michkov’s shoulders after netting two goals in two games, Couturier was cryptic in his response.
“I think you could tell tonight, he was trying to make a lot of plays with the puck, holding onto the puck,” he said. “So I think he’s definitely feeling good about himself.”
If there was any tension between the skilled second-year wing and the captain, it seems to have been squashed with a good night’s sleep, with Couturier joining head coach Rick Tocchet in a side session with Michkov following Sunday practice.
“We were just out there today and I was with him on the board about something, I forget what it was, Coots came right over,” Tocchet told reporters on Sunday. “Right away, Mich is looking at Coots. I can tell, Mich really respects Coots. There’s something there, so I think that’s valuable. Coots has got a good way of delivering a message.”
Michkov was selected seventh overall by the Flyers in 2023 and joined the team last season after the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg terminated his contract, paving the way for him to join the NHL.
