It’s been nearly two years since arguably the most shocking trade in Philadelphia Flyers history went down. Star forward prospect Cutter Gauthier was sent to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick, forced by the former’s unwillingness to play in the City of Brotherly Love.
We still don’t really know the reason why Gauthier refused to sign with the team, even though some speculators are probably close. Regardless of why it went down, the 21-year-old is reaping the benefits—it was a genius move.
Flyers Are Pretending That Michkov Doesn’t Exist
Gauthier couldn’t have known the Flyers would hire Rick Tocchet to be their head coach, but he’s definitely lucky that he abandoned ship early on. Sophomore winger Matvei Michkov has been left out to dry by the team’s new bench boss, with no attempt to play to the youngster’s strengths. They’re pretending that he doesn’t exist.
Makes me sick to say it, but Cutter Gauthier probably made the smartest career decision of his life in getting away from Philadelphia…
— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) December 15, 2025
Some new coaches alter their system to benefit star players. Others meet somewhere in the middle, trying to make the transition easier. Tocchet is neither.
Despite Michkov’s best efforts to acclimate and even posting some solid on-ice results—54.24% expected goal share at 5-on-5, according to Evolving-Hockey—he remains in the dog house. Nearly two minutes have been taken off his average ice time from last season, and he sat on the bench in two of the team’s last three overtime periods. All were eventual losses.
The Flyers, and Tocchet specifically, are not concerned with Michkov’s development. Winning games—after finishing with the fourth-worst record in the league last season, mind you—is the priority. This is done through dump-and-chase hockey, which limits offense but prevents rush chances the other way. It has killed any semblance of a transition-based attack, one of Michkov’s greatest weapons.
Related: Flyers News & Rumors: Tocchet’s Immaturity, Murchison, & More
Even though he has had to completely alter his game, Michkov has done some good things this season. He’s tied for fifth in points and ranks second in expected goal share at 5-on-5, all while being ninth in average ice time among forwards. It’s extremely difficult to make any notable impact in that type of role, but he’s actually doing quite well.
If Michkov were a focal point of the offense, akin to the final nine games last season under interim head coach Brad Shaw, the team probably wouldn’t be 16–9–6 right now, though. More likely, they’d have a more middling record as a young player learns how to lead a team to greatness.
But should the Flyers win a Stanley Cup someday, Michkov will probably have to be the one who leads it. In theory, getting him ready for when that time comes should have been the goal this season. Instead, Tocchet isn’t just opposed to top-line usage—he’s going out of his way to restrict a young player and regularly insult him in interviews. It’s a nightmare on Broad Street.
Gauthier’s Excellence in Anaheim
Then, you have Gauthier’s situation. Ducks’ head coach Joel Quenneville, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, is the yin to Tocchet’s yang. Perhaps the reason one is so decorated as a bench boss, and the other isn’t, has to do with their differing approaches to young players.
In Anaheim, Gauthier and other young Ducks have had the freedom to create offense. Sure, mistakes are made. But a 19–12–1 record, good for second in the Pacific Division, is the reward. The Ducks are winning through high-end skill, as opposed to the Flyers’ restrictive style, which is only stunting the development of their youth.
Cutter Gauthier, Anaheim Ducks (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)
This season, Gauthier has 16 goals and 18 assists in 32 games. By being such an important contributor in Anaheim, his confidence is high while also learning better habits.
With the Chicago Blackhawks, where Quenneville formed a dynasty, not all young players had free rein. But Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the team’s crown jewels, got big minutes in their first seasons.
Of course, there was no way Gauthier could have predicted Tocchet would be hired by Philadelphia and Quenneville by Anaheim. But his choice to demand a trade from an organization stuck in the past is paying huge dividends. With the way things are going, it may end up being the best choice of his life—a sobering reality for fans of the Orange and Black.
