Speaking to a source yesterday, the Flyers are increasingly confident that top prospect Matvei Michkov will join Philadelphia for the 2024-25 season when all is said and done. Nothing can be announced until Michkov or his agent -- it cannot be the Flyers -- pay a $400,000 cost for the player to buy himself out of the remaining two seasons on his KHL contract with SKA.
"I'd still call it 'cautious optimism', but hopefully we're getting to the home stretch where we'll know one way or the other," the source said.
SKA reportedly has two main conditions involved before they'd agree to allow Michkov to leave for North America this summer:
1) Michkov must either play on Philadelphia's NHL roster or return to Russia to play in the KHL, with SKA having the right to decide whether he plays in St. Petersburg or is loaned again (as he has this past season) to another club. Although an NHL entry-level contract would give the Flyers the right to decide where Michkov plays (NHL with Philly, AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, or a slide-rule eligible loan to a European team), SKA will demand the player return to St. Petersburg if he's not in NHL.
2) SKA would retain Michkov's exclusive KHL rights for the duration of his current contract, which runs through the 2025-26 season. His SKA contract would not be invalidated via a transfer to the NHL but he'd have permission from the St. Petersburg club to play in the NHL despite being under KHL contract.
A poorly translated article stated that part of SKA's demand was that Michkov play on the Flyers' "first line" or would be subject to being recalled to St. Petersburg. This was an incorrect translation. SKA apparently understands that lineup decisions as to where a player is used would be at the discretion of Flyers head coach John Tortorella, not SKA or Flyers management. Rather, the statement from SKA referred only to Michkov playing in the NHL, not his game-by-game placement in the lineup.
When/if these details are worked out, Michkov would be permitted to sign an entry-level contract with Philadelphia, spanning the 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27 season.
Another Flyers item: I was told that the Flyers will not be aggressive in the free agent market this summer but they remain "open for business' in terms of being agreeable to hockey trades. The team only has $500,000 of open cap space at present but may buy out the final season of Cam Atkinson's contract and may be open to a trade involving defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
Goalie Cal Petersen is likely headed for waivers and another AHL assignment entering the final year of his contract.
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