Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov causing headaches for veteran coach John Tortorella

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Tom Banks
September 12, 2024 (8:34 PM)

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When Matvei Michkov arrived in Philadelphia, we knew there would be an adjustment period, but it appears his coach may be the one struggling to adjust to his style.

Rookie training camp is officially underway around the NHL, and while there's plenty of stories to keep an eye on league wide, there's one intriguing one in Philadelphia with the arrival of top prospect Matvei Michkov. Given the skill and the hype that comes along with him, fans are no doubt excited, and updates from training camp in Philly have already been amazing, with the rookie seemingly showing off his skill.

That comes to the dismay of coach John Tortorella, who reportedly reacted to Michkov's Michigan attempt exactly how everyone would expect, and the front office absolutely loves it. While Tortorella isn't exactly the type of person to encourage this type of display on the ice, the front office is still excited for him to develop the Russian rookie, with Danny Briere saying this about the potential relationship;

"I know I've said this a few times before, but the chance to have him learn under Torts, we all know know that he's gifted offensively, very, very talented, but he's going to have the chance to learn under Torts to play the other side of the ice as well, and that gets me excited. He's going to get that base early on. I think it's just going to make him better for the rest of his career."

From all perspectives, it appears Michkov could be a franchise level player from the Flyers, and if Tortorella can adjust to coaching such a young, confident player, there's no reason that this Flyers team can't go out and make a push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024/25.

Source: Blade of Steel
Philadelphia Flyers Matvei Michkov already getting under John Tortorella's skin