Latest On Matvei Michkov
Dec 20: SKA has officially announced the loan, sending Michkov to Sochi for the rest of the year.
Dec 19: As the 2023 World Junior Championship gets closer, hockey fans are focused on the next wave of talent. Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli will show why they are expected to go at the very top of next year’s draft, while competing against the best players in their age group from all over the world.
Well, not all over the world. Russia has been banned from the upcoming tournament because of its invasion of Ukraine, meaning Matvei Michkov – another top prospect – won’t get to compete.
Instead, Michkov is set to join the worst team in the KHL for the rest of the season as reports out of Russia have him loaned to HC Sochi. Though it may seem like a demotion, given his place with powerhouse club SKA St. Petersburg, it should allow the young forward to actually receive some regular playing time. So far this year he has played just a handful of shifts in the KHL, spending most of his time in the VHL, where he has 10 goals in 12 games.
Michkov, 18, is a very interesting prospect when it comes to the draft. Compared to Alex Ovechkin at times as he grew up, there is an expectation that he will become the next face of Russian hockey. If there weren’t other complicating factors, he would be pushing Bedard for the first overall selection.
The biggest of those factors is his contract, which will keep him in Russia through the 2025-26 season. This loan to Sochi does not extend or shorten his deal with SKA; it only gives him an opportunity to play through the end of the year.
Any team that selects him will have to wait, and though he is expected to come to North America when his contract is up, there is no guarantee of that just yet.
This opportunity, though, will be able to give NHL front offices a bit of a closer look (at least through video) before committing to a several-year wait. If he can show off for Sochi, even in a losing effort – the club is dead last in the KHL – the hype surrounding his future will only increase.
NHL Central Scouting Releases “Players To Watch” For 2023 Draft
The 2023 draft is still months away, but fans of struggling teams are already salivating over the idea of adding talents like Connor Bedard, Matvei Michkov, or Adam Fantilli to their organization. Those three are among the 28 names that were included as “A” prospects in NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary “players to watch” list, released today.
The full group of top prospects is as follows:
D Cameron Allen – Guelph, OHL
F Colby Barlow – Owen Sound, OHL
F Connor Bedard – Regina, WHL
F Zach Benson – Winnipeg, WHL
G Carson Bjarnason – Brandon, WHL
F Daniil But – Yaroslavl, Russia Jr.
F Leo Carlsson – Orebro, SHL
F Nate Danielson – Brandon, WHL
F Dalibor Dvorsky – AIK, Sweden-2
F Adam Fantilli – Michigan, NCAA
F Ethan Gauthier – Sherbrooke, QMJHL
D Mikhail Gulyayev – Omsk, KHL
F Kasper Halttunen – HIFK, Liiga
F Riley Heidt – Prince George, WHL
F Samuel Honzek – Vancouver, WHL
G Michael Hrabal – Omaha, USHL
F Ryan Leonard – USNTDP
F Matvei Michkov – SKA St. Petersburg, Russia-2
F Oliver Moore – USNTDP
F Gabriel Perreault – USNTDP
F Calum Ritchie – Oshawa, OHL
F Eduard Sale – Brno, Czechia
D Axel Sandin Pellikka – Skelleftea, Sweden Jr.
F William Smith – USNTDP
F Otto Stenberg – Frolunda, Sweden Jr.
F Charlie Stramel – Wisconsin, NCAA
F Matthew Wood – UConn, NCAA
F Brayden Yager – Moose Jaw, WHL
These are the players who are listed as “1st round candidates,” though it should be noted that there will be several changes before the draft actually rolls around. If you are noticing there is a distinct lack of defensemen listed, you’re not wrong. The preliminary list for the 2021 draft had nine defensemen listed in the 31-player “A” group, while the 2022 group had five out of 23 players listed. This year, the defensemen are almost equal with the goaltenders, showing just how rare difference-making blueliners might be.
Speaking of goaltenders, having two in the preliminary group is rather rare. The 2022 list didn’t have any, and a netminder didn’t come off the board until Topias Leinonen at No. 41 when the draft rolled around. The 2021 group shows how much things can change though. When their preliminary list came out, Jesper Wallstedt was the only goaltender listed as an “A.” While he did end up going in the first round, Sebastian Cossa – ranked a “B” prospect at this point two years ago – was the first goalie off the board, selected 15th overall.
For that matter, Kevin Korchinski, who went seventh overall to the Chicago Blackhawks just a few months ago, was a “B” prospect at this point last year. Korchinski had a breakout season with the Seattle Thunderbirds and skyrocketed up draft boards – something a handful of players do every year.
So while the “A” players may be early favorites to go in the first round, there’s a reason why the whole list is dubbed the players to watch. These are the names you’ll hear bandied about in the months to come, with arguments about upside and floor happening on bar stools and bleachers all across the hockey world.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images