Ryan Whitney has been watching the Philadelphia Flyers pick themselves apart and cannot get past one thing about it.
“I can’t remember a fan base siding with a player like this over the entire rest of the team,” Whitney said on Spittin’ Chiclets. “And they’re sitting second to last in the East, they’ve got the third-worst goal differential in the NHL. So it’s disasters everywhere.”
He wasn’t done.
“I just don’t look at this guy as the true savior of any organization.”
Paul Bissonnette picked it up from there and took it somewhere more uncomfortable.
“There’s plenty of players in this league who make unbelievable offensive plays night in, night out. It doesn’t mean that you’re the guy,” Bissonnette said.
Matvei Michkov this season:
| Games | Goals | Points | Plus-minus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 10 | 15 | -11 |
When does Matvei Michkov’s contract expire?
Everything happening in Philadelphia right now is also a negotiation, which is the part Bissonnette wanted people to think about. Michkov’s entry-level deal runs out at the end of this season and he becomes a restricted free agent next summer.
“Let’s say they somehow salvage this relationship at least to the end of this season and he’s still a Philadelphia Flyer. What do you think him and his agent will be requesting in contract negotiations?” he said. “Whatever goals he makes. If he gets 35, 40 goals, they’re going to want $15 million a year.”
Then came the question itself.
“Do you think the team would be willing? I know the fans would be willing to give him that. You think the team would be willing?” Bissonnette said. “Is he a guy you want to build your team around?”
And the line that will travel furthest.
“He showed up in year two completely out of shape. What do you think he’s going to do when you hand over $15 million a year for seven years?”
The conditioning reference isn’t invented. Rick Tocchet questioned Michkov’s fitness publicly when he arrived for his first camp under the new coach, and his ice time has not recovered since. He is averaging 16:07 a night while leading the club in goals.
The situation around him has kept deteriorating. Kevin Weekes reported that Michkov would prefer a fresh start, Elliotte Friedman said there are issues between him and his teammates, two separate clips have emerged of him arguing on the bench with Nick Seeler and Travis Konecny, and supporters have crowdfunded a plane and a billboard demanding Tocchet be fired.
Philadelphia sit 5-10-6 with a minus-22 goal differential, and general manager Daniel Briere has said a trade was never discussed.
Read more:
