The young Russian phenom, heralded as one of the most exciting prospects in recent memory, has found himself in the crosshairs of head coach John Tortorella’s famously demanding approach.

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.

The Philadelphia Flyers are in the thick of the playoff race in 2024-25. They have work to do in a tight Wild Card race, however. Many expected the Flyers to make a trade leading into the March 7th deadline.

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.

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.

Tortorella opens up about why he's' so adamant about Matvei Michkov improving his defensive details and whether he'll continue coaching after his current contract expires.

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.