Rick Tocchet is ready to get back on track with winger Matvei Michkov after the two had a tenuous relationship in his first season behind the bench with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Tocchet told Kevin Kurz of The Athletic that while he believes speculation about their relationship has been “overblown,” he regrets blasting Michkov for pre-season conditioning before the trade deadline and is hoping to the help the 21-year-old forward shine in his third NHL season.
“I think it’s a learning lesson for both of us,” Tocchet explained. “I think the relationship has been overblown, and I think he’s talked about it. In saying that, in February, I was frustrated. I should have probably kept the remarks about him being out of shape — I had already said it four times; I don’t think I needed to say it a fifth time. As any coach, you learn a lesson. So, I would take that back.
“But the way we coached him, the way we tried to make him understand certain things, I thought the coaches did a great job with him. You can ask (Michkov); I don’t want to speak for him, but I think he really learned a lot. I think he enjoyed talking to the coaches. And I think that he’s learned a lot from last year. Saying that, he still played some really good games for us. It’s not like he was horrible.
“He has high expectations for himself. I really want to help him right from the gate, and really get him in a situation to be comfortable on the ice. I want him to be creative. I want him to come in my office and (ask), ‘What do you think about this?’ But there are still some non-negotiables. We have to have them as a coach. But I’d be crazy not to let him be creative or take a guy one-on-one, or make plays off the rush. That’s his gift. I want him to do that. I think he’s done (the work) this summer to prepare himself for that.”
Tocchet calling out Michkov’s conditioning in early February led to Flyers general manager Daniel Briere giving the winger a public vote of confidence just days later. Briere told reporters that Michkov was “not going anywhere” amid the apparent rift with his head coach.
Michkov posted 20 goals and 51 points in 81 games with the Flyers last season, seeing his production drop off slightly from the 26 goals and 63 points he had in 80 games as a rookie.
The Perm, Russia, native admitted in November that he put a significant amount of time resting during the off-season as he recovered from an ankle injury that was nagging him at the end of the 2024-25 season.
“We’ve all talked about it, and I’ll be very frank... Matvei did not come into camp in shape,” Tocchet told the PHLY Flyers Podcast in February. “It’s hard to play yourself in shape. I have not told him or any of our players to, ‘Take a guy one-on-one, come out of the corner with a puck, or to make a play on a rush’... He’s having a tough time in those situations.”
“I mean, I get it. Maybe [other players] don’t have [his] skill set. But we’re trying to get him to that level, right? How to develop him: practice, making sure that you’re on time for treatments, and things like that. There’s so much into that, the way you eat.”
The season ended with Michkov being benched twice during the playoffs, posting one assist in eight postseason games while averaging just 11:49 of ice time.
Selected seventh overall in the 2023 NHL draft, Michkov is entering a contract year as he gets set to play out the final season of his entry-level contract. He is currently slated for restricted free agency next July.
Playoffs or bust in Philadelphia?
Even with Michkov seemingly not at his best, the Flyers took a significant step forward last season, reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
The Flyers tried for a big swing this off-season, inking centre Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $90 million offer sheet that was eventually matched by the Anaheim Ducks.
The team added goaltender Joseph Woll, blueliner Simon Benoit and forward Noel Acciari in some of their most notable changes, largely returning the same roster. The Flyers largely focused on the future this summer with long-term extensions for Dan Vladar, Tyson Foerster, Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale.
Tocchet was noncommittal on whether it’s playoffs or bust for the Flyers this season as the team looks to build on their success.
“That’s a tough question. You look at last year, the Vegas odds, we were one of the worst teams, supposedly. So we make the playoffs, get almost 100 points, so expectations all of a sudden — now all of a sudden, where are we at? I have high expectations, myself,” Tocchet said.
“I know it’s a cheesy answer, I don’t look at, we have to make the playoffs. How do we grow from last year? How do we become a better team? I know everybody is gung-ho, but I want to make sure that I don’t put too much pressure on the players, even though I want pressure.”
The Flyers will open their preseason on Sept. 21 against the Washington Capitals and kick off their regular season on Sept. 30 against the rival Pittsburgh Penguins.
