In part four of our series, we’re heading to Russia for a glimpse into what may be the most talked about prospect not named Bedard in the upcoming draft. Matvei Michkov is a superb talent, who might even challenge Bedard for that coveted first overall slot – if not for some serious concerns.
The first, and most obvious concern with this player is the current political situation in that part of the world. Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine has painted its athletes into an unfair picture, one that has made teams even more leery about drafting prospects from Russia, especially so high in the draft. The recent news of Michkov’s father’s passing is mysterious and also concerning to any teams who might be poking around this player – you just never know how things might change.
That said, in spite of an additional three years of KHL contract, Michkov has publicly stated his dream and desire to play in the NHL. If and when he does come over, we could see him become the most dangerous offensive player in the entire draft. He’s putting up ridiculous numbers at every level, and in their lone head-to-head tournament, he even took the scoring title and MVP award ahead of Connor Bedard.
'Hi, it's Matvei Michkov, this is what I can do.'
— KHL (@khl_eng) December 25, 2022
18-year-old Matvei Michkov scores the youngest goal in HC Sochi franchise history (18 years, 16 days). pic.twitter.com/dTbp1mO15o
Michkov is an explosive talent, combining elite hockey sense – quoted by prospect expert Chris Peters as the best in the draft – along with an NHL ready shot, stickhandling, and dazzling creativity. The only knocks on him as a player are his slight frame (listed at 5’10”, under 150 pounds) that can lead to defensive zone issues, and his frequent attempts to try to do it all himself. But in the end, when you look at his game, Michkov is one of the most highly touted Russian prospects of all time.
Again the question at hand is, when can you get him to North America? He could very well follow in the footsteps of someone like Kirill Kaprizov and come to the NHL as a polished player, ready to be an absolute show-stopper and immediately one of the best players in the league. But if that’s three or more years from now, will anyone want to risk a top-5 pick for him?
For the Blue Jackets, I have a hard time seeing this fit. If you’re looking at the overall picture and analyzing the teams that are most likely picking in the top-5, the fit just doesn’t make sense. First of all, he’s strictly a scoring winger, and the Jackets have more than their share of scoring wingers coming up through the system. More importantly, they’re further along in their process and will be looking to flip the switch to contention soon, rather than later. Drafting Michkov likely punts the process away for 3-4 years – and then you still have a glaring weakness of center prospects.
Ultimately, even if the Jackets lose both lotteries and fall to fourth – and even if Bedard, Adam Fantilli, and Leo Carlsson are the top three picks – it’s hard to see them making Michkov their man. He doesn’t feel like a Jarmo Kekalainen type pick, and the fit just isn’t right.