VOORHEES, N.J. – Matvei Michkov didn’t quite achieve that first NHL career hat trick in the Flyers’ last game of the season in Buffalo.
But he does have a three-goal plan for this summer:
>1. Rest up in Russia.
>2. Think about ways to improve his game next season.
>3. Keep on working to master the English language.
After Michkov completed his exit interviews on Saturday at the Flyers Training Center, he spoke through an interpreter to the media about his offseason plans.
“English is getting better,” Michkov announced. “So I can communicate with my partners. There is nothing in the game I feel a hundred percent yet. There’s always room to improve. After the vacation, we’ll start working on it.”
Michkov, who scored the most goals (26) by an NHL rookie this past season, is looking forward to getting home for a spell so that he can visit relatives and friends.
Although his average ice time (16:41) was fourth on the team, Michkov would like to log more minutes next year.
“I didn’t feel like I played enough minutes,” Michkov said. “If I play more minutes, I will feel comfortable.”
Playing on a line with captain Sean Couturier and leading scorer Travis Konecny toward the end of the season helped Michkov’s transition to the North American game.
Konecny went out of his way to praise Michkov’s rookie season and the young Russian appreciated the praise.
“I think that ‘TK’ is one of the best players in the league,” Michkov said. “And very happy, very honored to hear such words from a guy like him. It was a pleasure to play with him.”
Although he finished among the rookie leaders for points, Michkov says he still has a lot to work on.
“I could have scored a lot more,” Michkov said. “ I’m not really happy with my results.”
But he does have a three-goal plan for this summer:
>1. Rest up in Russia.
>2. Think about ways to improve his game next season.
>3. Keep on working to master the English language.
After Michkov completed his exit interviews on Saturday at the Flyers Training Center, he spoke through an interpreter to the media about his offseason plans.
“English is getting better,” Michkov announced. “So I can communicate with my partners. There is nothing in the game I feel a hundred percent yet. There’s always room to improve. After the vacation, we’ll start working on it.”
Michkov, who scored the most goals (26) by an NHL rookie this past season, is looking forward to getting home for a spell so that he can visit relatives and friends.
Although his average ice time (16:41) was fourth on the team, Michkov would like to log more minutes next year.
“I didn’t feel like I played enough minutes,” Michkov said. “If I play more minutes, I will feel comfortable.”
Playing on a line with captain Sean Couturier and leading scorer Travis Konecny toward the end of the season helped Michkov’s transition to the North American game.
Konecny went out of his way to praise Michkov’s rookie season and the young Russian appreciated the praise.
“I think that ‘TK’ is one of the best players in the league,” Michkov said. “And very happy, very honored to hear such words from a guy like him. It was a pleasure to play with him.”
Although he finished among the rookie leaders for points, Michkov says he still has a lot to work on.
“I could have scored a lot more,” Michkov said. “ I’m not really happy with my results.”
>Ersson feeling better
Flyers starting goaltender Samuel Ersson disclosed he was dealing with an injury for much of the past season but he’s been feeling better the past couple weeks.
“Right now I feel good I would say,” Ersson said. “ It was kind of lingering a little bit. The last few weeks my body has gotten back to how I want it to feel. I don’t have to think about it at all.
“It was like a recurring injury. I think I got hurt two times. In November, missed some time in December. Kind of got back, missed a little bit more time. It was something I felt like never went away. It’s manageable but it was bugging me a little bit. Last few weeks I feel like it’s been a hundred percent.”
Ersson said surgery will not be necessary.
For the Swede, injuries are all part of the business.
“Being a professional athlete, you’re going to be injured,” Ersson said. “So I think it’s something for me to mentally accept that injuries might happen and you have to find a way to deal with it.”
Happy with the season?
“Yeah, I would say so,” he said. “Felt like I got out of rhythm when I missed some time in December. Overall, I think there are a lot of good things from my season to take with me. There are things I need to do better, find a way to be a little more consistent. Still finding ways to manage energy levels to find a way to perform at a consistent high level.”
At times, the frustration level got pretty high.
“Anytime you have deal with injuries it’s frustrating,” Ersson said. “You just want to feel good and be able to play a hundred percent. But things are going to happen, you’re going to get hurt. It’s a tough schedule. Both physically and mentally, you have to find a way to deal with that. And still perform at the level you want.”
Whether Ersson will be the No. 1 goaltender next season remains to be seen. He acknowledged there was pressure on him last season to prove he was the top guy.
“I think for me, going into the season, one of the goals for me was to solidify myself and get that starter position,” he said. So the pressure was more there.
“I just want to find a way to perform a little more consistently. At times I did that.”
“Right now I feel good I would say,” Ersson said. “ It was kind of lingering a little bit. The last few weeks my body has gotten back to how I want it to feel. I don’t have to think about it at all.
“It was like a recurring injury. I think I got hurt two times. In November, missed some time in December. Kind of got back, missed a little bit more time. It was something I felt like never went away. It’s manageable but it was bugging me a little bit. Last few weeks I feel like it’s been a hundred percent.”
Ersson said surgery will not be necessary.
For the Swede, injuries are all part of the business.
“Being a professional athlete, you’re going to be injured,” Ersson said. “So I think it’s something for me to mentally accept that injuries might happen and you have to find a way to deal with it.”
Happy with the season?
“Yeah, I would say so,” he said. “Felt like I got out of rhythm when I missed some time in December. Overall, I think there are a lot of good things from my season to take with me. There are things I need to do better, find a way to be a little more consistent. Still finding ways to manage energy levels to find a way to perform at a consistent high level.”
At times, the frustration level got pretty high.
“Anytime you have deal with injuries it’s frustrating,” Ersson said. “You just want to feel good and be able to play a hundred percent. But things are going to happen, you’re going to get hurt. It’s a tough schedule. Both physically and mentally, you have to find a way to deal with that. And still perform at the level you want.”
Whether Ersson will be the No. 1 goaltender next season remains to be seen. He acknowledged there was pressure on him last season to prove he was the top guy.
“I think for me, going into the season, one of the goals for me was to solidify myself and get that starter position,” he said. So the pressure was more there.
“I just want to find a way to perform a little more consistently. At times I did that.”
>Brink becoming more complete player
Bobby Brink recently won the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy as the Flyers’ most improved player for 2024-25.
Brink said he probably improved the most when he wasn’t on the attack.
“Maybe (my) defensive game,” he said. “I tried to play with more structure. The 200-foot game, I think I got better at it just from focusing on it more. And maybe keying more on it in my game.”
One wouldn’t expect a former NCAA scoring champ to fit into a shutdown checking line but Brink apparently has.
“I mean, I didn’t think too much about it, I guess,” Brink said. “I probably didn’t picture that but sometimes you have to adjust your game to when you move to other levels.”
Brink said he probably improved the most when he wasn’t on the attack.
“Maybe (my) defensive game,” he said. “I tried to play with more structure. The 200-foot game, I think I got better at it just from focusing on it more. And maybe keying more on it in my game.”
One wouldn’t expect a former NCAA scoring champ to fit into a shutdown checking line but Brink apparently has.
“I mean, I didn’t think too much about it, I guess,” Brink said. “I probably didn’t picture that but sometimes you have to adjust your game to when you move to other levels.”
