Rick Tocchet’s view of the Flyers — ‘That crest is everything’ — and his Year 1 priorities

By Kevin Kurz (The Athletic)

VOORHEES, N.J. — Rick Tocchet is still getting to know Matvei Michkov. The new Philadelphia Flyers coach, and the talented winger who is perhaps the most important piece of the ongoing rebuild, met in Tocchet’s office not long ago.

Tocchet rolled out a white board. He jotted down a score: Flyers 3, Opponent, 2. He scribbled 40 seconds remaining on an imaginary clock in the corner.

And, finally, he doodled a pair of stick figures representing himself and Michkov. One was behind the bench. Another was on it.

“Can I put you on the ice with an empty net?” Tocchet asked the 20-year-old.

“Yeah, I want to score the goal,” Michkov replied.

“Well, that’s great,” Tocchet replied with a chuckle, “But…”

Tocchet, naturally, went on to explain to Michkov that there are certain things he’s going to have to show the coach to earn that kind of trust. Michkov’s relationship with former coach John Tortorella was often in the spotlight throughout his rookie season, as Tortorella would sometimes limit Michkov’s ice time due to defensive miscues or lost assignments. Tocchet’s leash with the emerging star may or may not be longer — that won’t be answered until the season kicks off on Oct. 9 — but Michkov’s ability to create offense while maintaining at least a modicum of defensive awareness will continue to be part of the player’s development arc.

Tocchet, of course, is hoping that at some point, Michkov can become that all-situations type of player. So does Michkov. On that day in Tocchet’s office, Michkov “smiled and he understood, so that’s what we’re going to have to work on every day,” Tocchet said. “I don’t know if he can play the last 40 seconds. But my goal is to make him be out there, because when he gets the puck, he can make a play.

“He liked that talk. It probably excited him, that this coach might give me a chance at the empty net. I think that’s the sort of relationship you have to have with a player.”

The conversation wasn’t all one-sided, either. Fixing the Flyers’ abysmal power play over the past few years will be one of Tocchet’s primary tasks. That won’t be possible without improvement from Michkov.

So, the coach wanted his thoughts on it. The conversation latest upwards of 15 minutes.

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