Flyers’ Matvei Michkov revives the excitement of Eric Lindros’ arrival

The 5-foot-10-inch Michkov is fast, slippery as the ice itself, and loaded with stick skill, which in the first days of camp sometimes saw him setting up behind the net, reminiscent of Wayne Gretzky during the Great One’s days spinning magic in his “office” against the wall.

Vivacious and outgoing and eager to learn the English language, characteristics atypical of many players newly arrived from Russia, Michkov has been out and visible since touching down in Philly late in the summer. He threw out the opening pitch at a recent Phillies game (his first time throwing a baseball).

Last weekend, in a scrimmage at the club’s training facility in Voorhees, N.J., the arena was packed with fans wearing his No. 39 orange Flyer sweater. Decades ago, the enthralled faithful came adorned in their newly minted No. 88 Lindros models. They’re eager to believe that Michkov is the next big dawg, though he is not nearly the physical presence of Lindros, who was 6-4 and around 225 pounds when he arrived.

“I’ve never seen that before,” said a wide-eyed Michkov, amused and somewhat amazed by the large volume of sweaters that had his name on the back.

For the moment, coach John Tortorella is OK with the raw Russian frosh basking in the spotlight.

“I like players with personality,” said Torts, who actually sounded sincere.

The hard-driving bench boss, knowing Michkov could become the franchise centerpiece, will preach his standard two-way game. That usually demands all players — no excuse for age, country, experience, or profile — pay the price inherent in shot-blocking.

Tortorella also has vowed to place limits on Michkov’s media availability in the early going. There won’t be daily “Mich” updates, the coach promised.

The rookie also has been assigned a spot in the dressing room next to veteran defenseman Erik Johnson, 36, who was the No. 1 pick (Blues) in the 2006 draft. A veteran of 987 games, Johnson will provide an understanding ear and be a bit of a shield if media attention turns feverish.

It’s a tricky balance for a once-proud, successful franchise desperate to lift its image, and no longer able in today’s NHL to rely on the fighting and crazy, bloody mayhem that long ago had the Broad Street Bullies one of the league’s most recognized, and oft-reviled, brands. Good morning, Dave “The Hammer” Schultz, who will be 75 on Oct. 14.

The Bruins were in Philadelphia Saturday night for their fourth preseason game. If the Flyers are fortunate, Michkov one day could be their David Pastrnak, today among the game’s most feared and prolific right wingers.

Unlike Michkov, Pastrnak didn’t arrive in the Hub of Hockey amid a blizzard of great expectations. He was a relative unknown, a free-spirited Czech who scored nine goals in Sweden the season leading to his draft in 2014. The Bruins took a shot on him at No. 25, the same spot where they grabbed the slow-afoot Jordan Caron five years earlier.

There are few guarantees at No. 7, even fewer at No. 25.

“I’ve seen some of the highlight-reel stuff that [Michkov]’s done,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said earlier in the week, yet to see the Flyer wunderkind live. “He’s a hockey player. Drafted [seventh], you’ve got to draft that high to get someone who’s homegrown, and unfortunately we don’t draft there. I mean, it’s a great thing we don’t draft there, but that’s how you get [those players].”

Montgomery noted the Avalanche as a prime example of a franchise that has mined gold repeatedly out of the draft’s mountaintop.

“You look at [Nathan] MacKinnon, first [pick] overall,” mused Montgomery. “Best defenseman in the league [Cale Makar], fourth overall, you know, that’s how you get those generational players. I’m not saying [Michkov] is generational, but his skill set . . . ”

As for the Lindros-like buzz of the Flyers’ fan base, Montgomery added, “That says a lot.”

“The puck follows him,” noted Tortorella, which is recognition that Michkov anticipates plays, gets to open areas, often the trademarks of the game’s elite performers.

The attention is following Michkov, too, which ultimately could be the greatest test of his stickhandling.

COLLEGE PRIDE

Contract caught Montgomery’s eye

Amid all those big names in Denver, the six-year contract extension (total value: $15 million) signed this past week by Logan O’Connor didn’t trigger any avalanche sirens.

But it indeed caught Bruins coach Jim Montgomery’s eye. He coached O’Connor for three seasons (2015-18) at the University of Denver and then watched one of his roster favorites, an unheralded and undrafted free agent, turn pro with the Avalanche after his junior season.

“He’s a great story,” said Montgomery. “Just because of how hard he’s worked to get to where he is. I mean, [Justin] Brazeau comes to mind, and hopefully Brazeau can develop like Logan O’Connor did — find a niche, know what you’re great at, and just continue to grow into your role.”

Brazeau, 26, raised eyebrows in Boston last season when he finally got his shot at the big time, called up late from AHL Providence in his fifth pro season. He quickly shed his image of a big, lumbering, straight-line winger, displaying impressive flashes of speed and touch,

“Logan, he was in and out of the lineup his freshman year,” recalled Montgomery. “Second year, he became one of our top two penalty killers and instrumental on a third line that helped us win a national championship. The part of his game that needed to improve, and did in his third year, was offense. He grew a little bit there, and it’s really grown. I never would have thought he’d grow to score 12-15 goals in the NHL.”

O’Connor, 28, has been a full-time player the last three seasons, averaging 10 goals, including a career-high 13 last season. He brings vital speed and energy to the bottom six and typically is on coach Jared Bednar’s No. 1 PK unit. He could be hard-pressed to deliver that game consistently once into his early 30s, likely a factor in what induced him to push the deal out to six years.

“That’s the kind of work ethic and determination that you want,” added Montgomery. “Like, I don’t think Brad Marchand thought he was going to play 1,000 games and get close to 1,000 points in his Bruins career. He was in Providence, [thinking], ‘What am I going to do? I’m going to fight my way there.’ I think Logan O’Connor did the same thing. Great stories, and it’s what you want from your people, to build culture.”

ETC.

Canadiens could be on to something

Jack Todd, longtime columnist with the Montreal Gazette, predicted on X that the Canadiens will be “an absolute blast to watch every night” this season.

Well now, wouldn’t that be “un don de Dieu,” to have the Habs again be relevant?

The sharp-eyed Todd often has been deservedly critical of the CH over the last 30 years, including their dire stumblings and bumblings of recent times (three consecutive DNQs). So “absolute blast” is worthy of attention.

High on the Habs-to-watch list will be Lane Hutson, the former Boston University defenseman, who left Comm. Ave in the spring and immediately joined the bleu, blanc et rouge roster, going 0-2–2 in two games.

Hutson, the 62nd pick in the 2022 draft, has dynamic, game-changing moves, but his slight stature (5-9, 162 pounds) could present a challenge — the reason he slipped to that No. 62 spot. Unlike small forwards, pint-sized blue liners too often are denied the chance to seek safe harbor on the ice. The pounding is inevitable when the game is constantly coming at you.

But with the puck on his stick, Hutson can weave and dish with the best, that part of his game in the same stratosphere as Adam Fox and Cale Makar. If the 6-3 David Reinbacher can fulfill “franchise” expectations, and Hutson can avoid being pasted Wile E. Coyote-like to the rear wall, yeah, that absolute blast could be upon us.

Loose pucks

The Red Wings remain hopeful that Ville Husso, who missed four months last season because of a pair of lower-body injuries, can get back to being their No. 1 goaltender off the hop in 2024-25. Early returns have been encouraging. To make sure his bets were covered, general manager Steve Yzerman signed veteran Cam Talbot, 37, to a two-year deal ($5 million total) in July after an impressive bounceback season with the Kings. Talbot, originally a Ranger, anchored his career with three-plus workhorse seasons in Edmonton, where in 2016-17 he played in 73 games. That’s T15 all time for most games an NHL goalie has played in one season. No one since has topped that workload. Devan Dubnyk (Wild, 2018-19), Connor Hellebuyck (Jets, 2017-18), and Juuse Saros (Predators, 2021-22) have come the closest, with 67 appearances. The game’s season high-water mark: Grant Fuhr, who took the net for 79 games with the Blues in 1995-96 . . . Ex-Bruin Taylor Hall, his Blackhawk season clipped at 10 games in 2023-24 because of knee surgery (ACL), is back as one of five Boston alums now with the Hawks (including new captain Nick Foligno, Ryan Donato, Pat Maroon, and Craig Smith). “I think it’s kind of what I was born to do,” Hall, 32, told nhl.com, eager to get his career rebooted. In hopes that playing in thin air would boost his aerobic capacity, Hall trained for a long stretch this summer way up in Vail, Colo., joined by a bunch of NHLers, including stars Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Mitch Marner . . . Onetime Bruins prospect Karson Kuhlman, after signing with the Islanders and spending all season in the minors, headed overseas for his next venture and is playing this season in the Finnish “Liiga” for Lukko Rauma. Rauma is on Finland’s west coast, approximately 30 miles south of Pori. One of “Koolie’s” teammates is ex-Worcester Railer/Providence Bruin Steve Jandric, who finished his NCAA career with Merrimack in 2021-22 . . . The Bruins this season could have five players on their varsity who also suited up for Team USA at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo: Jeremy Swayman (Maine), Trent Frederic (Wisconsin), Andrew Peeke (Notre Dame), Max Jones (OHL London), and Riley Tufte (Minnesota Duluth). Swayman took the net for only three minutes in that tourney, playing behind Jake Oettinger (BU, Dallas) and Joseph Woll (Boston College, Toronto). All three goalies played in Hockey East . . . Third in scoring (61 points) last season with KHL Omsk Avangard, former Bruin Ryan Spooner, 32, looks like he may be at the end of the vulcanized rubber road after five productive sunset seasons in Russia. In his time with the Spoked-B, “Spoons” said he one day might pursue a career as a police officer, ideally in his hometown of Ottawa . . . To add to Jim Montgomery’s point about the Avalanche acquiring potential generational talent at the top of the draft, Colorado also used a No. 10 pick (2015) on Mikko Rantanen and a No. 2 (2011) on Gabriel Landeskog . . . The oft-prickly John Tortorella, not widely known as being gracious, particularly in his media interactions, was the embodiment of grace and kindness when inviting Guy Gaudreau to help conduct recent on-ice workouts at Flyers camp. Gaudreau, a longtime south Jersey youth coach, on Aug. 29 lost sons Matthew and Johnny, who were killed not far from Philadelphia when run over on their bikes by an alleged drunk driver. Per Tortorella, the senior Gaudreau pushed back when the Flyer boss demanded more effort from his troops during a skating drill. “ ‘You’ve got three lines out there,’ ” said Tortorella, quoting Gaudreau, “ ‘How much harder can they go!?’ ” A tiny fraction of his pain briefly interrupted, the grieving father left the building with an open invitation to return . . . Blake Wheeler, 38, isn’t in anyone’s training camp. “Still assessing his options,” said his longtime agent, Matt Keator. Wheeler, flipped from Boston to Atlanta just four months prior to the Bruins winning the Stanley Cup in 2011, spent last season with the Rangers . . . Proud pops John Grzelcyk, Kevin Hayes Sr., and the elder Jimmy Vesey, longtime Boston pals, will be aboard a flight out of Logan to Pittsburgh for the Oct. 9 season opener between the Penguins and Rangers. Matt Grzelcyk, the ex-Bruins backliner, signed on with Pittsburgh July 1, just two days after the Penguins acquired Kevin Hayes from the Blues. The younger Jimmy Vesey, the 2016 Hobey Baker Award winner, is about to begin his third season of his second stint with the Blueshirts. “Should be fun,” said the gregarious John Grzelcyk, decades-long member of the Garden bull gang. “It’ll be a little strange to see Matt in a different uniform. But no complaints. He loved his time with the Bruins, and he gets it, it’s hockey, moving on is just part of the business.” . . . You know we are way past the NHL’s Original Six days when looking at the academic records of two Bruins prospects. Defenseman Billy Sweezey, a 2020 Yale grad, earned his degree in biomedical engineering. John Farinacci, a 2023 Harvard grad, majored in economics. But the proud son of the Jersey shore (Red Bank) didn’t skate around Bright Arena thinking he’d one day be in finance or wear an investment banker’s fine-tailored suit. “My focus was always hockey, since I was 4 or 5 years old,” he said. “The degree, I think economics was just something that I liked, and something I connect with a little bit. I just think going with something you enjoy is always the right way to do it. But hockey was it. No Plan B, really. I just always wanted to be a hockey player and I am a hockey player.”

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Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at [email protected].