Insiders Share Interesting Updates on Michkov's Accessibility and Attitude

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TJ Tucker
June 17, 2023 (7:10 PM)

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There are some analysts and scouts who believe he's the top player in the 2023 NHL draft in terms of pure skill, even above the guy slated to go number one, Connor Bedard. So, why isn't Matvei Michkov expected to go higher? Two insiders are shedding some light on the issue.

Accessibility and Attitude

First off, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports that Michkov has not made himself available to teams. He skipped to Draft Combine, as did all Russian prospects this year. However, Friedman stated that scouts have gone to Russia to try and have a sit down chat with Michkov. It's not happening.

"A number of teams are indicating they can't get an assurance [Michkov] will talk to them before the draft.There's a lot of mystery about him. In Russia, the teams that could get there to meet him, said talking to him was difficult. You would try to talk to him, set up appointments, and he wasn't interested. The only way you could talk to him was if you physically got to him right after a game for a couple of minutes.

"Everyone is wondering does Michkov have a preference?" - Elliotte Friedman

More to the Story

It goes deeper than that, though. Sheng Peng of Colorado Hockey Now quoted unnamed NHL scouts who told him or character concerns.

"That same scout, we'll call him Scout #1, added, 'There's definitely a maturity factor there. I've asked some people that have met him, and they're like, he's kind of an asshole. I hear that a lot.'"

"'Cocky' is how Scout #2 described what he's heard internally, in his organization, about Michkov."

"'I've heard he's not the nicest person,' Scout #3 told SJHN."

'Entitled' is how an independent KHL source described Michkov."

There are some theorizing that Michkov is intentionally trying to push himself down the draft to be available for a certain team. No team has been named. It's interesting, but not verified.