REPORT | Top Prospect Matvei Michkov is copying a legend trying to control which team selects him
When it comes to potential top-five pick Matvei Michkov, there are plenty of unknowns.
Despite being one of the most talented Russian prospects in over a decade, there's been reports that his attitude is not great. Some NHL scouts told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now that Michkov is 'entitled', 'cocky' and 'an asshole'.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman revealed in his most recent '32 Thoughts' podcast that some National Hockey League teams want to speak with Michkov before the draft, but he won't give them assurances that they will get an interview. Friedman added that he's curious if Michkov is trying to postion himself to get drafted by a specific franchise.
"A number of teams are indicating they can't get an assurance [Michkov] will talk to them before the draft...there's a lot of mystery about him. In Russia, the teams that could get there to meet him, said talking to him was difficult. You would try to talk to him, set up appointments, and he wasn't interested. The only way you could talk to him was if you physically got to him right after a game for a couple of minutes. Everyone is wondering does Michkov have a preference." Friedman said.
There's certainly some concern here with how scouts are characterizing Michkov and that he doesn't seem willing to meet with some teams. This of course is in addition to him being under contract with the KHL's SKA St. Petersburg until 2026.
His talent is undeniable, but the more that we hear about Matvei Michkov, it sounds like the risk is starting to outweigh the reward. It's going to be interesting to see what happens during the first round of the NHL Entry Draft on June 28th. He very well may still go in top-five, but some are curious if he will fall outside the top ten, which would make him available to Patrik Allvin and the Canucks.
Matvei Michkov may be attempting to pull a similar manoeuvre to what the legendary Jaromir Jagr did back in his draft year, where he stated he wouldn't be reporting to any of the first four teams in order to end up in Pittsburgh. Is Michkov trying to do the same?
| POLL | ||
JUIN 18 | 622 ANSWERS REPORT | Top Prospect Matvei Michkov is copying a legend trying to control which team selects him If Matvei Michkov is somehow still available at 11th overall, should Allvin select him? | ||
| Yes, he's one of the best players in the draft | 433 | 69.6 % |
| No, risk outweighs the potential reward | 133 | 21.4 % |
| Unsure | 56 | 9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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