One of the biggest questions for head coach Rick Tocchet when he took over the job for the Philadelphia Flyers this summer was how he is going to coach and foster such a talent like Matvei Michkov, to ensure he reaches his potential. And the early signs are, well, mixed.
Michkov has not been given a whole lot of opportunity to really shine. He’s played just over 43 minutes through the Flyers’ first three games of the season — ranking him 13th on the team in total minutes and fewer than forwards like Owen Tippett, Bobby Brink, and Christian Dvorak. But Tocchet more than understands that it’s just the early season and he’s trying to figure things out for himself and what’s best for the Russian phenom.
On Wednesday’s episode of Jeff Marek’s podcast The Sheet, Tocchet explained what it’s like coaching Michkov and how much of a balance he has to make his deployment. He can’t fully let him off the leash, but he also can’t be too controlling. As Tocchet puts it, there’s a sensitivity to handling a player with the potential that Michkov has.
“Yeah, it’s sensitive. You know first of all we have to understand he’s a second year guy. There’s a bit of a language barrier. He’s coming over here trying to learn the culture and different things, so right away he’s got that,” Tocchet said. “You know, I’m a big crest guy — a big culture guy and we’re trying to turn things around here about how to win. But you also have got to allow this guy to be able to be creative and do his thing.
“He can make mistakes because the risk-reward is there. We got to allow him to make some plays because he can make those Zegras plays or he can make a high-level play with three minutes left. But it also has to be within the confines of the team. He’s got to make sure that when we don’t have the puck, you can’t always leave the zone, things like that. Power play — you have to be the guy back after a faceoff loss, you can’t dive in. These are little things that we’re just going to have to stay on top of.”
We haven’t yet seen those high-level plays from Michkov, unfortunately. Maybe it’s too much of a focus on what he needs to do away from the puck that’s causing an offensive setback, or just trying to understand an entirely new coaching staff and what they want.
But, there’s also a little bit of a fitness issue coming into the season.
Tocchet on Michkov’s early struggles and fitness
As it has been reported over the last week and confirmed by the Flyers and Michkov himself, the player suffered an ankle injury in the summer and it delayed what he was able to do. Tocchet dives head-first into that health issue and where it stands currently.
“He got behind the 8-ball a little bit with the fitness. I guess he had a little bit of an ankle problem this summer. He didn’t train like he was supposed to,” Tocchet said. “So, you know, he’s in practices and we’re getting him up to speed. I know it’s a corny thing but his last two practices, he looks faster, and there’s certain things we can help him on to play faster.”
Tocchet then also responds to potential criticism that he wants a player so naturally talented like Michkov to fully be involved defensively all the time and restrict him from making highlight-reel plays like he did last season. And, well, he makes a pretty strong point.
“But, the overall story of this is he’s a fabulous kid and the kid wants to win and he’s creative and we got to allow that. I’m not stupid. I don’t want him to dump the puck in but there’s certain times when we tell him, when there’s four guys around you and there’s no play, that puck has to go deep. I don’t care. Connor McDavid does that. You know, so there’s things that we have to give and take with him, but like I said, he’s bought in. He’s in with the coaches every day watching video.”
Pointing at the best hockey player on the planet and showing that even he dumps the puck sometimes when there’s no play to be made, is maybe the most straightforward you could get with what he wants Michkov to do and learn. It’s all about figuring out when you can attempt that crazy deke or make that high-end skilled pass to a teammate, and when you should just dump it to try to keep possession. What is the play that is going to guarantee more future scoring chances? That is what Tocchet is trying to engrain into Michkov.
Balancing the risk-reward when it comes to Michkov
Further in the interview, Marek makes light reference to what if Michkov is someone who generates something like eight scoring chances for the team, but because of his play, gives the other team three. And Tocchet essentially agreed, but added his own coaching flair.
“No, but there’s something to what you just said. There’s something to that. You know, there’s situational hockey,” he said. “There’s three minutes left, you’re up a goal, I’m not sure a high-risk play is the right time. But first period, you got him against the fourth line, and you know he’s got a chance to make a high-level play. It doesn’t work out? Yeah, no problem. That’s an okay mistake. There’s got to be situational hockey involved in that risk-reward. But if he’s creating eight chances for and three against, that’s a good thing.”
And that is what could be limiting Michkov’s minutes right now. The Flyers have been playing in very tight games down the stretch and possibly someone like Dvorak, who Tocchet trusts from his Coyotes tenure, is someone he would rather have on the ice up by a single goal. Add in the fact that the Flyers have been killing lots of penalties and of course Michkov isn’t on the shorthanded unit, and that lowers his ice-time.
Tocchet will eventually get a feel of just how much he can trust Michkov to generate his own plays, create in certain situations, and how much of a true risk it is to have him on the ice in more holding or defensive situations. It’s all about feel and we’re just three games into it.
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