Although healthy, Matvei Michkov has been overlooked in the KHL

Things have been looking up for Matvei Michkov since he was loaned out to Sochi HC. The Flyers prospect, who ~~will one day be playing alongside Cutter Gauthier~~, has collected 33 points in 38 games.

For an 18-year-old in a men’s league, that’s an excellent result.

That said, every time the young man does… something, he’s the talk of the town. Is it because his attitude isn’t always exemplary, according to what’s going around?

And now, at noon, a piece of news about him has set tongues wagging.

The Sochi club has confirmed that Mishkov has been dropped by his club… even though he’s considered a healthy player at the moment. And let’s just say it doesn’t look good.

Team confirms #LetsGoFlyers Matvei Michkov healthy scratched today. #KHL

– Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) January 31, 2024

The fact that he was -4 in his last game, when he wasn’t doing the dirty work defensively, is arguably a reason for his absence from today’s game.

You may have seven points in your last seven games, but…

That said, there’s a nuance to this. As Mathias Brunet points out, Michkov is recently recovering from pneumonia. Is he at 100% at the moment?

Who knows.

Having recently recovered from pneumonia, we’ll give the young man the benefit of the doubt, despite a -4 game before being dropped from the line-up. You don’t recover from a virus like that so quickly. https://t.co/LEiBYmcCeQ

– Mathias Brunet (@mathiasbrunet) January 31, 2024

Maybe he’s not fit enough to play to his full potential and isn’t worth putting on the injured list for that reason. It’s an important question to ask.

Having said that, if it were Connor Bedard in such a situation, we’d know that it’s because of his state of health that he’d find himself in such a situation, wouldn’t we?

In bursts

– Um…

Serge Beausoleil on the coaches who had sent in their resumes before Benoit Desrosiers’ position became available: #lesoleil pic.twitter.com/vvGkdAUF8O

– Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) January 31, 2024

– The goalie starts training again. Great news.

Frederik Andersen is set to resume on-ice activities pic.twitter.com/hstbZI6I5f

– Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) January 31, 2024

– Read more.

CHRONIQUE | Jean Perron takes us back to his memories of the CH’s Stanley Cup conquest in 1986 and says THANK YOU to Quebecers!https://t.co/gibSQv2MzF pic.twitter.com/XsKon2HG7t

– La Poche Bleue (@lapochebleue) January 31, 2024