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Matveï Michkov: Incredible talent, but a terrible teammate

 Manuel Sperandio-Lemay
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Matveï Michkov: Incredible talent, but a terrible teammate

For years, the Canadiens were looking for talented players. It was, if not the most important criterion, one of the most important elements in the eyes of the former administration. Talent, okay. Size, not important. Skill, not important. Character, that’s what we wanted.

The result is that, over the years, the tricolore has selected a ton of youngsters with anything but character. I’m thinking here of Nathan Beaulieu, Alex Galchenyuk, Ryan Poehling, Nikita Sherbak, Jarred Tinordi and Michael McCarron. Either the Habs were very bad at evaluating the character of young players, or it’s a criterion that shouldn’t be held in such high esteem when it comes to finding good field hockey players. Either way, these selections speak for themselves, and I don’t think I need to add anything to make my point.

Since the arrival of the new management, character doesn’t seem to be as important in the equation, but we shouldn’t fall into the trap of completely dismissing it either. Why do I say this? Because Mathias Brunet just made a very solid point earlier today on BPM Sports.

According to the information he was able to obtain, it would appear that prospect Matveï Michkov is a loathsome teammate, which is why he was loaned out to HK Sochi by SKA St. Petersburg last season.

The following extract says it all:

You can have all the talent in the world, but if your teammates can’t feel you, it can’t work. Field hockey is a team sport, and one ill-intentioned individual can wreak a lot of havoc, especially if he’s your best player (talk about the Winnipeg Jets)!

Normally, I’m the kind of person who says that at the draft, teams should always prioritize talent over other elements like position or character. But hearing this kind of locker-room talk about Michkov makes me wonder whether, if I were the CH, I’d take him with the 5th overall pick.

On the other hand, I have to admit that the youngster could very well mature and become a better teammate over time. The three seasons he’ll spend in the KHL before crossing over to America could well benefit him in that respect… or not!


In gusto

– At this point, we might as well pass, right?

– Do you think he’ll play in the show?

– Stuart Skinner doesn’t skimp on the details.

– Sad reality, soon there will be only white people among sports team owners.

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