- Daniel Briere says there are no active extension talks with Matvei Michkov
- Philadelphia has until Sept. 15 to offer eight years before the new CBA caps it at seven
- Read below for Briere’s full comments and what waiting could cost the Flyers
The Flyers have about two weeks left to hand Matvei Michkov the longest contract the CBA allows. They are not using them.
Briere was asked whether Philadelphia had made any progress on new deals for Michkov or Rasmus Ristolainen, the two Flyers with contracts expiring next summer. His answer to Andrew Knoll of RG left nothing to read between the lines:
“There’s nothing going on at the moment. I’m sure along the way, at some point, there will be discussions, but not at the moment.”
That answer runs into the calendar. Sept. 15 is the last day a team can sign one of its own players to an eight-year extension, and once the new CBA takes over the next morning, the maximum drops to seven years.
Michkov got back to Philadelphia on Monday night, his first time in the area since the season ended:
His numbers went the wrong way last season. The 21-year-old put up 26 goals and 63 points as a rookie, then fell to 20 goals and 51 points in 81 games while his ice time slid from 16:41 a night to 14:50.
Things got worse in the playoffs. Michkov managed one assist in eight games, and Rick Tocchet scratched him twice during the run.
Philadelphia isn’t treating any of that as a red flag. Asked how much the team’s ceiling hinges on Michkov and Porter Martone taking a step, Briere pushed back on the framing of a down year.
“It’s pretty funny, when we talk about Matvei having a bounce-back season, he still had 20 goals and 50-plus points. But that’s how much he’s seen as a guy that can be a difference-maker, which is really exciting.”
Take a look at all 20 of those goals:
He skipped a vacation to get ready for this one. Michkov trained in Perm, Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the Flyers sent a coach to Russia for two weeks of three-a-day sessions. He explained the reasoning to RG in July.
“There was no vacation at all, because an important season is ahead. I need to play well, I want that myself.”
Montreal already showed what this kind of bet costs. The Canadiens gave Ivan Demidov eight years and $73.2 million on July 1, a $9.15 million cap hit built off a 62-point rookie season.
Two years in, Michkov sits at 114 points, and a third-year jump only raises his price. Briere expects those talks to happen eventually. The eight-year option won’t be on the table when they start.
