Flyers

Calder Watch: Oddsmakers Join John Tortorella in Not Caring About Matvei Michkov’s Ice Time

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Feb 28th, 2025 · 1:55 PM EST

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Matvei Michkov had two goals and an assist on Thursday night, playing just 13 minutes and 54 seconds. It was his third-straight multi-point game and he now has 10 points in his last five.

Figuring that he might be moving up the Calder board and closer to the top two spots, a quick look at NJ betting apps and PA sports betting apps says he’s still far off.

A sampling:

• DraftKings: Macklin Celebrini (-250), Lane Hutson (+450), Matvei Michkov (+650)
• FanDuel: Celebrini (-280), Hutson (+450), Michkov (+600)
• BetMGM: Celebrini (-275), Hutson (+340), Michkov (+900)

No matter where you look, it’s those three in that order, with Celebrini way out front.

If you analye the numbers without context, the Sharks rookie has 18 goals and 24 assists in 48 games. Hutson is a defenseman with four goals and 40 assists in 59 games and Michkov has 19 goals and 25 assists in 58 games. You see it in a vacuum and realize that Celebrini has put up almost the same numbers as Michkov in 10 fewer games.

Except –

Celebrini has played 948 minutes this season and Michkov 928, so despite a difference of 10 games, Celebrini’s ice time outpaces Michkov’s by a full 20 minutes. It’s a good snapshot of how goofy this entire thing is. Despite only receiving 16 minutes a night, and getting healthy scratches in November, Michkov still leads all rookies in points. And Hutson as a defenseman has played about 400 minutes more than both of these guys.

Of course, the Calder doesn’t necessarily go to the guy with the most points. Michkov still has a long way to go on the defensive side. He didn’t exactly cover himself in glory in overtime on Thursday night, if you’re looking for a recent example. Celebrini is way ahead on the two-way front, and also playing alongside William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli. Michkov has had good stretches and bad stretches and has played a streaky rookie season. Celebrini’s output is more consistent.

But it does make you wonder, if the ice time was the same over the course of 82 games, how many more goals and assists Michkov would have, and if it would render the two-way criticism moot. Phrased differently, how much offense is required to make you not care about the defensive side? Knowing John Tortorella, he probably would not accept the premise of that question.

There’s this thought going around that Torts is going to cost Michkov the Calder by limiting his ice time, and that may end up being true. Even then, if the kid is making mistakes, does pulling him from the game to sit on the bench correct those mistakes? Or does he have to play through them and live the experience and learn the game that way? A question for the philosophers, and one that we will ask ourselves rhetorically from now until the end of time.