Moreover, several observers continued to state that if it weren't for Russia's geopolitical situation and his contract in the KHL, Michkov likely would have been selected right after Connor Bedard. After all, the forward had a historic season in the KHL with 9 goals and 11 assists (20 points) in 27 games.
His remarkable statistics led to him being considered the best Russian prospect since Alex Ovechkin. A very honorable comparison considering that players like Nikita Kucherov, Artemi Panarin, Kirill Kaprizov, and Andrei Svechnikov were all selected after the Capitals' forward.
The majority of journalists quickly deemed it a steal by the Flyers, who possibly snagged a generational talent at the 7th pick. However, not everyone seems to share this opinion.
Indeed, during his appearance on the podcast "The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro", former Canadiens scout Grant McCagg is far from of the same mind, as he believes that Matvei Michkov could become the next Nail Yakupov.
Wow! Such a statement was unexpected!
However, there's a significant difference between saying that Michkov won't have 100-point seasons and predicting that he won't be able to secure a place in the NHL, as was the case with Nail Yakupov. Given the special status Michkov holds according to many professional scouts, it would be surprising to see him fail to that extent.
Nevertheless, if such a prediction were to come true, it's safe to say that it would greatly please the fans of the Canadiens, who seemed devastated that Kent Hughes didn't select him at the 5th overall pick.
To hear Grant McCagg's remarks, you can listen to the podcast right here:
POLL | ||
Do you believe that Michkov is the next Nail Yakupov? | ||
Yes | 71 | 45.8 % |
No | 84 | 54.2 % |
List of polls |