Flyers Land Matvei Michkov Alternative in 2023 Re-Draft

Looking back on the 2023 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers were arguably lucky to have drafted Matvei Michkov in the first place, and in a new do-over, they are not as fortunate this time around.

The Athletic prospect expert Scott Wheeler just released his 2023 re-draft, three years on from what has shaped up to be, so far, a pretty decent class, especially at the top.

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There are no real surprises to start off: Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, Adam Fantilli, and Will Smith each go to their respective, current teams with the first four picks.

Then the re-draft truly begins at Pick 5, where Matvei Michkov goes to the Montreal Canadiens, two spots ahead of where he originally fell to the Flyers three years ago.

“It’s easy to forget that we’re only a season removed from him having 63 points in 80 games as a rookie, the Flyers’ second-leading scorer, and the fourth-place finisher in Calder Trophy voting, but last year some of his issues caught up with him. It’s now on him to get his game right in some important areas,” Wheeler said of Michkov.

“I still think he has point-per-game, first-line wing offense, but he was closer to the few names behind him here for me than the few names in front of him — and remains a complicated risk-reward slotting.”

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Ok, so with Michkov off the table, going where many had expected (or hoped), who do the Flyers end up drafting instead? Stylistically, this player is a direct replacement.

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With the seventh overall pick in 2023, Wheeler has the Flyers drafting New York Rangers winger Gabe Perreault, who was originally drafted 23rd, with Michkov off the board.

Ironically, the Flyers had the chance to draft Perreault much later than the seventh pick a few years back, but they opted to go with defenseman Oliver Bonk with the 22nd pick instead.

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Wheeler originally ranked Perreault seventh in his final rankings in 2023, and in those rankings, he was given quotes such as: “He’s likely going to be the fourth player from the national program picked because his game is believed to be less projectable. I’m less and less convinced of that,” “He’s a better skater than he gets credit for,” and “There might not be a player in this draft class who thinks the game offensively at his level.”

“Those are direct from my final draft ranking in 2023, and they hold true today. I don’t write a ‘prospects I was right about’ piece opposite my ‘prospects I was wrong about’ but … I’m going to be right about Perreault,” Wheeler asserted. “I nailed this one, and I’m proud of it. If you watched some of his games late in the year with the Rangers, you’ll know.”

Perreault, 21, played 49 games for the rival Rangers last season, scoring 12 goals, 15 assists, and 27 points with an even plus-minus rating of 0, all while recording just 10 penalty minutes and scoring at a 16.4% clip.

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Purely in terms of hockey sense and the way he sees the game offensively, Perreault is up there with Michkov, and in Wheeler’s do-over, the Flyers do well securing their alternative with Michkov off the board to the Canadiens.

And as for the Flyers’ second first-round pick in this re-draft, Bonk does not make an appearance in the top-32 for Wheeler.

Instead, with the 22nd pick, the Flyers actually go with one of their own, drafting goalie Egor Zavragin 65 slots earlier than they had in the real thing.

Also notable: Denver Barkey moves all the way up to 31, where Colorado takes him. That would be a nightmare if it had happened in real life.