To make matters worse, coach John Tortorella and rookie winger Matvei Michkov had a major falling out on the bench during Thursday's loss to the Islanders. Midway through the second period, just after New York opened the scoring, Tortorella could be seen chewing out Michkov for leaving the defensive zone early, which enabled the Islanders to score.

Under John Tortorella's watch, the Philadelphia Flyers have now said goodbye to three players who were selected in the first round of the draft. Michael Traikos reacts.

Despite benching the budding star, Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella says he has Matvei Michkov’s best interests at heart. Facing the Metropolitan

In what ended up as a 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders, the major talking point was a heated exchange between the pair midway through the second period.

Philadelphia Flyers legend Bobby Clarke knows a thing or two about talent—and when he sees it, he’s not shy about sharing his thoughts.

Two factors point to Michkov taking a huge step in 2025-26: his youth and ice-time progression. With a season in North America under his belt and considering the natural progression of players his age, Michkov will likely be more productive anyway—potentially to a significant degree.