Matvei Michkov was benched today in the KHL

Last week, we said that Matvei Michkov was having a good time in Russia. After all, he stood out in the preparatory matches, scoring some beautiful goals…

And he was even named MVP of a 3-on-3 mini-tournament. His coaches were using him for everything, and even playing center, which he’d never done before, he was finding a way to stand out on the ice.

But now…

Let’s just say things changed in the space of a few days. Yesterday, the young man was used as the 13th forward, and today, he started the game on the team’s third line…

But a costly mistake and a notable lack of effort at the end of the first period forced his coach to bench him for a full period. He regained his role as 13th forward at the end of the second period, and in the end, he didn’t spend much time on the ice:

Even if he was drafted early in the first round and even if he’s already seen as a star in Russia, that doesn’t mean Matvei Michkov gets a free pass, and it doesn’t mean he’s better than everyone else.

But all in all, it’s not a catastrophe in itself. His coaches got the message across to him in the best possible way, and next time he’ll know what he has to do to avoid finding himself in such a situation.

Matvei Michkov is 18 and it’s normal for him to make mistakes. Does that mean he’s automatically a flop and will never play in the NHL? I’ll let you answer that question, because the answer is obvious.

But I think it’s interesting that SKA St. Petersburg is making him understand that he’ll have to work like everyone else in order to deserve to play. To me, that’s the way to go…

Gossip

– Well said.

– Perfect, that.

– Minor signing in Anaheim.