Rick Tocchet details new coaching strategy to unlock Matvei Michkov

Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said after Thursday’s morning practice that he’s been impressed with winger Matvei Michkov’s play the last few weeks. Part of that might be due to the forward shaking off some of the rust that an ankle injury and subpar training regimen resulted in. And part of it might be due to Tocchet and the coaching staff easing up on the gas pedal when it comes to providing Michkov with information and lessons during games.

When asked about how Michkov and he have communicated despite the obvious language barrier, the head coach was quite forthcoming about how the staff adjusted how they went about approaching the Mad Russian.

“I think in real time, it’s harder,” he says. “I could bark at somebody and tell them. But with Matvei you’ve got to take your time. You’ve got to get a board, or during intermission time I’ve done it a few times, called him in to show him video. And I can’t correct him on everything. Not so much him but on any player. I’m not a big fan of correcting a player because then you’re in his ear all day. You have guys where if you give them too much information, I don’t want them hitting the ice going like, ‘What am I doing?'”

Flyers change approach to coaching Matvei Michkov

Tocchet said both he and the coaching staff have gone about approaching Michkov differently compared to the start of the season. The coach said they’ve opted to use the less is more method, not bombarding the 20-year-old sophomore winger with more information than needed.

“Don’t give him too much,” Tocchet says. “Yogi (assistant coach Jaroslav Svejkovsky) was talking to him, then Jay (Varady) was, then I was. I think earlier on we were giving him so much information I think we could frustrate him a little bit. I think the last three weeks, we really have dialed in on how we do it. One coach has him for today. ‘Hey, let’s give him a break today, let’s not talk systems. Let’s talk to him about something else.’ I think collectively we’ve learned how to manage how to give him information because he seems to be grasping it more the last three weeks than he did the first three weeks. I think that’s where we as coaches have adjusted. Sometimes we overcoach or overcorrect, we got to be careful.”

Tocchet also says since switching Michkov to the left, he’s noticed that the winger is playing far more of a north-south game versus the lateral game he was often seen attempting earlier in the season. That switch has seen Michkov look a lot more like himself than he did at any point in early October where he looked lost and out of position. After registering just five points and a lone tally in October, Michkov picked up steam in November with seven goals and a pair of helpers. And that continued Wednesday night when he earned two assists in a 5-2 victory over Buffalo.

“I think playing him on the left has made him go more north,” Tocchet says. “He’s not backwards skating as much now. I’m trying to explain to him that the faster you can go north more the more you can get rush plays. When you’re taking it back and opening up and playing backwards, you’ve got to beat the structure again. If we just beat the structure, why do we want to go behind it and have to beat the structure again? The more north he can play the faster he looks too.”

Michkov and teammates still ‘learning the system’

Tocchet also says that part of the problem some players have faced in the defensive zone, including but not limited to Michkov, stems from not “squashing plays” instantly. It’s something that he hasn’t been impressed with in recent weeks after the Flyers did a fairly effective job of nipping any opposition chances or rushes in the bud when the season started.

“It doesn’t matter what system you play If you don’t squash plays — and I’ve explained this to the players and to you guys — you’re going to make 10 extra reads a game,” he said. “If you don’t squash a play, I don’t care if it’s Patrice Bergeron, Sidney Crosby, some of the best defensive players, if you give 10 extra reads to those guys it’s hard. So can we squash plays? Can we get in on somebody and win the battle or double up on somebody and get that puck? I feel in the last six or seven games it’s been a mixed bag. I thought early in the year we were a bit better at squashing plays. I feel now not so much. So now you’re giving — and I hate to say it, Grebenkin, Michkov, Zegras, all these guys that are still learning the system — 10 extra reads. That’s hard on those guys. All of a sudden people are diving all over the place and they’re asking a lot of questions. When there’s 10 extra of those ‘what happens,’ then it’s hard.”

Michkov plans to train in Philadelphia area next summer

Finally, Michkov reportedly said after practice that he was disappointed with his goal and assist output so far this season. And, perhaps to the joyful ears of the Flyers front office, he also stated he’s open to remaining in the Philadelphia area next summer to train for the 2026-27 season. Having the forward minutes away from the training and fitness staff and facilities sounds a lot better for the Flyers than Michkov leaving the training regiments to himself.

“I think as a young kid you always look at options to get better,” Tocchet said regarding Michkov’s response to the question. “Obviously there’s a lot of good stuff around here, if that’s his choice. We can help him. As for his play I don’t want him to worry about points. He was focused on goals and assists, he’s got to be careful of that. Those things will come by doing the right things. And I think he’s tried to do the right things, where to go in certain areas, he’s getting better at it definitely.”

So in short, everything seems to be gelling between Michkov and Tocchet, particularly if the optics are some kind of measuring stick.

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