Flyers prospect Matvei Michkov sent to KHL’s HC Sochi on loan

The writing had been on the wall but Monday it became official as SKA St. Petersburg loaned Matvei Michkov out to fellow KHL side HC Sochi for the remainder of the season.

The move comes after Michkov, the No. 7 overall pick in June’s NHL draft by the Flyers, played in just one of SKA St. Petersburg’s first four games. Michkov, 18, will return to Sochi on loan for the second consecutive year after scoring 20 points in 27 games there last season. Michkov’s 0.74 point per game spell with Sochi last season was among the most productive seasons by a teenager in KHL history.

SKA announced the decision on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying the following:

“Matvei Michkov will continue the season on loan with Sochi. The mutual decision was taken for the benefit of his career following discussions between Matvei and the management. We wish the forward a successful campaign! #hcSKA”

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While SKA St. Petersburg and Sochi play in the same league, SKA St. Petersburg is one of the top clubs while Sochi is one of the lesser franchises. At Sochi, Michkov figures to get a lot of ice time, as well as power-play opportunities, compared to SKA St. Petersburg, where he was a bit-part player and unlikely to have much of a role on a veteran squad under coach Roman Rotenberg. The KHL is an older league with a distinct pecking order, and at bigger clubs like SKA, it can be tough for young players to crack the lineup or earn ice time.

In European hockey, teams can loan players to other teams for a period of time while still maintaining that player’s rights. This practice is often used in situations with young players like Michkov, who might not be ready for a consistent role with their parent club, but are good enough to play at other clubs where they can benefit from experience and increased opportunities. The relationship often serves both parties as the smaller club adds a top talent on a temporary basis while the parent club gets experience and development opportunities for its player. For this reason, a loan is probably the best outcome for Michkov and the Flyers from a development perspective.

Michkov’s loan move comes after a lot of chatter in the United States about his lack of playing time. The youngster had an excellent preseason while playing for SKA but was benched for SKA’s first two games before appearing in their third contest of the season. In his lone appearance this season, Michkov saw only six minutes and 12 seconds of ice time, adding to the frustration of Flyers fans and North American media.

Some have speculated that this was SKA making a statement to Michkov and the Flyers that he will see out his KHL contract through 2025-26. The reality is, this is quite common place in the KHL, where winning is the priority often to the detriment of player development. Michkov likely would have been off the board long before pick No. 7 if not for the three years remaining on his KHL contract.

The Flyers will be hoping for Michkov to excel with a presumably larger role with Sochi. Given they have little control over his development over the next three seasons, they will probably be happy to see him earn regular KHL ice time even if it isn’t with SKA. It is unknown when he will make his debut with Sochi, whose next game is Wednesday against Severstal.