Men In Black Aliens

After a yearlong wait, Matvei Michkov is now a member of the Philadelphia Flyers, as the 19-year-old winger signed his entry-level contract Monday.

Michkov, who was the seventh pick of the 2023 NHL draft, announced June 25 that he was leaving his Russian KHL club, SKA St. Petersburg, to join the Flyers this offseason.

His arrival now means the Flyers have their top prospect in North America with Michkov projecting as a top-six, if not top-line winger, who could be used on the power play.

"We're excited to have Matvei under contract and we look forward to him joining our team at training camp in September," Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said in a statement. "We've kept a close eye on his development since the draft and to be able to add a player like Matvei, who brings a high level of talent, skill and game-breaking abilities, he will be a key piece to our future."

Michkov had played one game for SKA only to spend the remainder of the 2023-24 Kontinental Hockey League season on loan at HK Sochi. He scored 19 goals and 41 points in 47 games across what was his first full season playing in Russia's top professional league.

He also becomes the latest homegrown talent who could join Joel Farabee, Noah Cates, Morgan Frost, Tyson Foerster, Cam York, Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov as drafted players who've reached the NHL as part of the Flyers' rebuild.

Signing Michkov comes in an offseason during which the Flyers are trying to build upon the progress they made in the 2023-24 season. Veteran coach John Tortorella, who was hired before the start of the 2022-23 season, guided the team to a 38-33-11 mark and finished just five points out of the final wild-card spot.

"I'm extremely happy to officially become a part of the Flyers family," Michkov said in a statement. "Being in the NHL has been a dream for me since childhood. I would like to say a huge thank you to the Flyers management for their trust. I will do everything possible to meet there expectations."