One big story this offseason is that Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov left the KHL for the NHL’s 2024-25 season. That is a couple of years ahead of schedule, and great news for Flyers fans and fantasy hockey fanatics alike. As we avert our attention to the upcoming campaign, it’s worth looking at what Michkov has done as a prospect, where the Flyers stand right now, and what that tells us about his short-term fantasy potential. 

Had Michkov been born in Saskatchewan with the name Matthew McDonagh, he would have likely gone second overall in the 2023 draft rather than sliding to seventh. The 2023 Elite Prospects Draft Guide says as much: “Under ordinary circumstances… Michkov is the consensus No. 1 pick… the conversation starts with the geopolitical [Russian] situation… In the back