Flyers’ Frost Trade Unlocking Michkov, Hurting Konecny

Even though Konecny played by far his best hockey with Frost (which I highlighted last July), he was playing most of his minutes with captain Sean Couturier. Even though Michkov has played by far his best hockey with Couturier (something I predicted in the same article), he was playing with Frost.

Whether Brière agreed with Tortorella’s flawed lineup decisions or not, he put an end to them. With Michkov finally being a full-timer with Couturier, the Russian star is doing something he hasn’t all season—cashing in on his absurd 5-on-5 chance generation.

From New Year’s to around the time of the trade, Michkov was one of the league’s best generators of expected goals at 5-on-5 play—up there with Matthew Tkachuk, Leon Draisaitl, and Connor McDavid. However, that wasn’t translating to success on the scoreboard. Michkov was doing some amazing things, but his game-by-game point totals weren’t reflecting that.

Couturier has helped to flip the script. He wins puck battles and can pass well, ultimately giving Michkov opportunities to score in ways that Frost never could.

This goes back to a point I made a little while back. To be dominant, Michkov doesn’t necessarily need the best center, but the right one. Couturier is exactly that. The two have tormented their foes, especially since the end of the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Konecny Can’t Do It Himself

This hasn’t come without its downsides, though. Namely, Konecny has seen his scoring efficiency plummet. He’s a very distant eight points behind Michkov in 5-on-5 scoring since the trade.

Konecny played better hockey when centered by Frost than Couturier, sure, but it’s been a nightmare without either of them. Per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, he’s been on the ice for 0.83 goals in his favor and 2.69 against in those situations.

There’s been some disappointing puck luck here, much like what happened to Michkov, but Konecny is a bit different. He’s not generating good looks at anywhere close to the same rate—it’s been a battle. Unfortunately for him, it’s going to stay that way until further notice.

Flyers Should Buy Low on a Center at the Deadline

While the Flyers are a team that belongs in the “seller” category for the upcoming trade deadline, it might make sense to buy low on a center. Instead of letting Konecny suffer, potentially even more so with Scott Laughton on the block, there should be some proactivity here.

At this point, the Flyers just need to add anyone. It’s in their best interest to finish with a high draft pick, but it’s also a bit insulting to do that at the expense of a player who was just locked up for eight years. Even if it’s for future considerations, the Orange and Black at least owe it to Konecny to make an effort here.

The Flyers preach their culture, so leaving Konecny out to dry for the next month and a half probably isn’t the best course of action. Buying low on a center helps the team in the present, and could be a smart play for next season if things work out well.

Trading Frost was a move that had to happen. He wasn’t showing enough progression to earn another contract, so Brière made the call. Doing so has led to the surge of Michkov and the decline of Konecny.

Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick