Matvei Michkov watched SKA St. Petersburg’s KHL season opener from the press box on Saturday as an unexpected healthy scratch.
Head coach Roman Rotenberg sat the 18-year-old forward in the team’s 2-1 victory over Dynamo Moscow.
The regular-season game would have been Michkov’s first since the Philadelphia Flyers selected him seventh overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. When asked about the decision, Rotenberg suggested that Michkov may not be a regular in the SKA lineup.
“Matvei is an [extra forward],” Rotenberg said, as translated by Google Translate. “First of all, he competes with other [extras]. And, for example, is Ivan Demidov, who is younger than Michkov.”
Demidov, 17, was given a lineup spot ahead of Michkov and had 8:28 TOI against Dynamo Moscow. After recording a 64-point season (19g, 45a) in the Russian junior league (MHL), Demidov could be a top prospect in the 2024 NHL draft. Recently, The Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis wrote a story entitled Meet Ivan Demidov, the 2024 NHL Draft prospect that some think might be better than Matvei Michkov.
Rotenberg was pleased with Demidov’s performance, but expects to eventually see Michkov take the ice. “Today Ivan played in key [moments],” he said. “There is competition. It must be won on a sporting basis. Matvei works, trains. He will play, but first you have to earn it.”
17-year-old Ivan Demidov is on the ice for us! Having been very impressive during pre-season, he's full of motivation to prove his worth at competitive KHL level.
In his maiden shift, Ivan is left unmarked on the doorstep, but no one can find him with a pass #hcSKA
— SKA Ice Hockey Club (@hcSKA_News) September 2, 2023
Michkov previously struggled to crack SKA’s roster during the 2022-23 campaign. He played only three games for the team that year and spent much of the season on loan. After a stint in the VHL (the KHL’s AHL equivalent), he finished the year with HC Sochi. There, he recorded 20 points (9g, 11a) in 27 games.
Widely considered a top talent going into his draft year, Michkov’s stock dropped in part because of his reported attitude and extended KHL deal. His contract with SKA runs until 2025-26 when he will be 21 years old.
Michkov’s next opportunity to make SKA’s roster will come on Monday against Lada Togliatti.
SKA’s G1 lineup
This is our team to play Dynamo Moscow!
Mattsson (Ivanov)
First line: Nikishin, Sergeev – Tolchinsky, Galchenyuk, Khairullin
— SKA Ice Hockey Club (@hcSKA_News) September 2, 2023
Second line: Sapego, Kamalov – Leipsic, Kadeikin, Alistrov
— SKA Ice Hockey Club (@hcSKA_News) September 2, 2023
Third line: Pedan, I. Fedotov – M. Fedotov, Vorobyov, Khusnutdinov
— SKA Ice Hockey Club (@hcSKA_News) September 2, 2023
Fourth line: Pashnin – Glotov, Zinchenko, Dedunov, I. Demidov (13th forward). #hcSKA
— SKA Ice Hockey Club (@hcSKA_News) September 2, 2023
Update (9/4): Michkov was a healthy scratch again on Monday in SKA’s game against Lada.
Headline photo: @hcska/Instagram
