Elliotte Friedman Confirms What Really Happened With Matvei Michkov and the Montreal Canadiens

There were rumors swirling at one point that the Montreal Canadiens wanted Matvei Michkov, and NHL insider Elliotte Friedman clarified what exactly went down.

On the latest '32 Thoughts' podcast, Elliotte Friedman mentioned something to the effect that sources confirm the road was preordained for Matvei Michkov to the Philadelphia Flyers long before the Montreal Canadiens passed on him in the draft.

Word is, the talented Russian prospect worked his way to Philly, which takes some heat off the Canadiens for not picking him.

As Elliotte Friedman followed up to say, Matvei Michkov wasn't lost to a bad move by the Canadiens, but an active choice to go to the Flyers.

Now, Canadiens fans can shift attention and latch hope onto another good prospect in Ivan Demidov who might just be that game-changing talent to take some of the sting away from not getting Michkov.

And with Michkov's early NHL impact silencing his skeptics, the Canadiens are left to wonder what might have been. He's the projected Rookie of the Year in most minds and a franchise cornerstone for Philadelphia.

But it could also be that the Canadiens have a star waiting around the corner courtesy of Ivan Demidov, whose respectable 21 points in 26 KHL games this season come on rather limited ice time.

Eligible to join Montreal after May 31, 2025, the 18-year-old is primed for an NHL breakthrough.

While the Calder Trophy potential of Michkov might sting, the rise of Demidov gives hope. A future rivalry of the Flyers against the Canadiens centered on Michkov versus Demidov could be a great thing that keeps the fans talking for years.

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