VOORHEES, N.J. — Matvei Michkov arrived at Flyers camp looking like a player who took the offseason personally. Philadelphia’s young offensive centerpiece said he feels quicker, leaner and ready to carry a larger load after a summer built around training, nutrition and a sharper focus on the details that slipped last year.
“I actually look good,” Michkov said after Thursday’s first training-camp practice. “Good summer. I feel really good right now. I think I’m ready for season.”
A different look at camp
The 5-foot-10, 172-pound winger reported to camp after making significant changes away from the rink. Michkov said he is about 30 pounds lighter than he was a year ago, the product of revised workouts and a diet that cut out fast food and sugar.
There is still room for chocolate, he said, but only on a day off.
- Michkov entered the previous camp with conditioning issues that eventually affected his production.
- After leading NHL rookies with 26 goals and tying for second among rookies with 63 points in 2024-25, he posted 20 goals and 51 points last season.
- His late-season play changed the tone. Philadelphia went 18-7-1 following the 2026 Winter Olympics, erased an eight-point gap and finished third in the Metropolitan Division to end a five-year playoff absence.
- Michkov led the Flyers over that 26-game surge with seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points.
- His scoring dried up in the playoffs, however, where he had one assist in eight games.
- He carried the lesson into the offseason, bringing Flyers performance development coach Lorne Goldenberg to Russia for two weeks of demanding work.
Michkov described days that included two gym sessions and one on-ice workout. “This is hard weeks, but this is good for me,” he said.
Coach Rick Tocchet noticed the physical change immediately. Tocchet said Michkov’s skating looked stronger and his stride stayed long even as practice wore on, rather than shortening when fatigue sets in.
“It’s the first day, but he looks lighter and stronger skating,” Tocchet said. “His stride is longer. When guys start getting tired their strides get choppier and his still was elongated. That is a good sign.”
Turning more chances into shots
Philadelphia drafted Michkov seventh overall in 2023 with the expectation that he would become one of the club’s central attacking players as it returned to playoff contention. His vision and passing remain his calling cards, but the Flyers want a more varied threat this season — especially from his one-timer.
The club scored 2.93 goals per game last season. Among the teams that reached the playoffs, only the Los Angeles Kings produced less, at 2.68 per game.
Michkov said he and Tocchet discussed making his shot a more regular part of his game. He spent the summer working on his hands and one-timers, with a particular emphasis on getting more power behind those attempts.
“I need to shoot harder on one-timers,” Michkov said. “This is a good way to score for me. We talked together with ‘Tocc.’ He told me I need to work on one-timers, and I worked on one-timers all summer. I think now I’m feeling better.”
More comfortable in Philadelphia
The work has not been limited to fitness and shooting. Michkov arrived in Philadelphia in 2024 unable to speak English and did not feel at ease handling interviews without a translator until shortly before last season’s playoffs.
On Thursday, he took questions alone at the table, with a translator nearby only when needed. Michkov said Philadelphia now feels like a second home.
“My first year was so hard for me,” he said. “I stayed in Philly with zero English. Second year, a little bit better, now a little bit better more. I feel now much better.”
For teammates, that progress matters most when the game speeds up and communication on the bench has to be immediate.
“The communication is huge,” Flyers forward Travis Konecny said. “The conversations I’ve had have been a little bit better with just understanding each other. That’s always positive. When it’s a heated situation on the bench or during a game, you can understand what each other is trying to say and the message.”
General manager Daniel Briere viewed the post-Olympic stretch as proof that Michkov recognized how much his preparation could influence his game. Rather than using a short break to rest, Briere said, Michkov saw the impact of taking better care of himself and applied that mindset across an entire offseason.
Briere said the winger now carries himself differently around the team facility and has shown more maturity than he did earlier in his NHL path.
“Everybody has a different path,” Briere said. “You wish that guys were all like Sidney Crosby, and they were at 16 years old a total pro. But the reality is, those are really rare. What I was excited to see was, I think his maturity level increased as the season went on. In the offseason, seeing him here, he’s got a pep in his step. He feels good. He looks good. So I’m excited about Matvei’s season.”
