The Matvei Michkov hype train is rolling through Philadelphia ahead of next week’s start to the NHL regular season.

Of course it is.

Michkov is one of the highest-rated prospects in all of hockey and he has the potential to bring life to a Flyers team that hasn’t had much in recent years.

The Russian phenom is in tight competition with No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks to be the pre-season favorite to win the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year.

Michkov is listed at +270 to win the Calder at FanDuel compared to Celebrini at +410 and DraftKings has Michkov sitting at +320 with Celebrini at +450.


There are other contenders for the award, including Dallas’ Logan Stankoven, who is the consensus third favorite. Stankoven played 24 games with the Stars last season, but he’s still eligible for the award based on NHL rules. Stankoven had 14 points in 24 regular-season games and played in the postseason, so he’s got an experience advantage over both Michkov and Celebrini.

Public Enemy No. 1, Cutter Gauthier, is the fourth favorite for the Calder, for what it’s worth, so yeah, there’s a scenario where it could come down to Michkov versus Gauthier for the award. Last year, Connor Bedard won the award with a 22 goal, 39 assist, 61-point season. Tyson Foerster had the 10th-most points among rookies, with 33.

The time to bet Michkov’s Calder futures may have been a few weeks ago, but there’s still some value now in case he gets off to a fast start and runs away from the field.

Some people, including myself, will tell you the surer thing to bet regarding Michkov is the season-long props.

DraftKings lists Michkov’s regular-season goals mark at over/under 23.5. FanDuel has Michkov’s goals as part of its preseason odds as well, but only in increments of 10, starting at 20 goals. Michkov is -250 to score 20 times and +500 to find the net 30 times.

Michkov’s regular-season points prop sits at over/under 48.5 across the board. He had 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) last season in 47 games in the KHL. If he plays the full 82-game NHL season (or something close to that), Michkov should clear the points number fairly easily if those KHL numbers carry. For what it’s worth, 13 Philadelphia rookies have crested the 48.5 mark in franchise history, but none of those instances occurred during this millennium. Mikael Renberg has the record, with 82 points in 1993 and 1994. Dave Poulin put up a 76-point rookie year and Eric Lindors a 75-point campaign. The most recent players to put up 45+ as rookies are Shayne Gostisbehere and Matt Read, who had 46 and 47 in 2015-16 and 2011-12, respectively.

There aren’t many alternate point props or PA betting promos relevant to Michkov. Same with NJ sportsbook promos. FanDuel has him at -110 to have 50 points, while DraftKings has him at +2200 to record 80+ points, which seems like a reach for a rookie, but it’s worth a small bet if you believe in his talent that much.

A 50-point season is probably a fair expectation given Michkov’s talent, and if he hits that mark, there will be a lot of happy people in the Philadelphia area.