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Matvei Michkov: since the resumption, he is the only one who is ahead of Nick Suzuki in the NHL
Félix Forget
Matvei Michkov: since the resumption, he is the only one who is ahead of Nick Suzuki in the NHL
Credit: Getty Images
Matvei Michkov’s season in Philadelphia has been, shall we say, quite particular so far. The talented forward has had some very good moments… but he has also had a few run-ins with John Tortorella.

And before the Four Nations Showdown break, Michkov looked like a guy who was struggling. Points were no longer coming easily, his ice time was decreasing, and he looked like a guy who needed a break.

The big question, then, was how he would bounce back from all this… and the answer is very, very encouraging. In fact, since the resumption of activities, Michkov has played three games… and he has amassed three goals and eight points during this sequence.

This is exactly the same production as Nick Suzuki… and the two guys are leading the NHL in points per game since the resumption. Clayton Keller (9) and Jason Robertson (8) are also racking up points, but they have played one more game than Suzuki and Michkov.

And since the month was shortened, seeing him have such a strong sequence means that Michkov has been named Rookie of the Month in the NHL.

Of course, for the Flyers, seeing the young forward come back strong like this is encouraging. He seems to have developed very good chemistry with Sean Couturier, and it shows in Michkov’s production.

After all, in Montreal, we can see how unstoppable Suzuki has been for three games. In Philadelphia, we see the same thing… from a rookie player.

The sample size is obviously very small, so we need to be cautious. That being said, it doesn’t change the fact that with his recent successful sequence, Michkov has returned to the top of the Calder Trophy race.

Because after all, he has caught up with Lane Hutson in first place among rookie scorers in the NHL this season.

(Credit: Screenshot/NHL.com)
With Macklin Celebrini continuing to play great hockey (except when Cole Caufield has his say) and Dustin Wolf still solid in the Flames’ net, we really have a four-way race for the Calder Trophy right now… and this race could go on until the very end of the regular season.

But if Michkov continues to score points at an incredible rate, the other rookies will have their work cut out to keep up.


In a rush

– Talking about young Russian forwards.

– Alex Ovechkin’s 884th career goal.

– Gustav Nyquist officially joins the Wild. The Predators, who retain half of the salary, get a second-round pick in 2026 in return.

– Well done.

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