The Philadelphia Flyers have not received a formal trade request from Matvei Michkov and were surprised to hear he wanted to play elsewhere, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
The Flyers, according to sources, are working to understand the situation but any suggestion that Michkov wanted out was "news to the front office" and they have no intention of trading the winger.
ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported Tuesday that Michkov would "likely want a new start elsewhere" and will be a prime trade candidate.
Michkov, 21, currently leads the Flyers with 10 goals and is tied with Trevor Zegras for the team lead with 14 points through 20 games.
Sources said there has been turmoil behind the scenes between Michkov and the Flyers. Some of those tensions appeared to bubble over Monday, when Michkov and teammate Nick Seeler were caught in a heated exchange on the bench during the second period of a 3-1 win against Vancouver. Teammates such as Porter Martone looked like they were stepping in to cool things off.
Michkov will become a restricted free agent when his entry level deal expires this summer. Michkov, a native of Russia, was the No. 7 pick of the 2023 NHL draft.
Michkov has scored 46 goals through his first two NHL seasons and finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting in 2025. However, it hasn't been the smoothest start for Michkov in Philly, including last season when coach Rick Tocchet publicly questioned the winger's conditioning and even scratched him for Philadelphia's final playoff game.
Michkov was recovering from an ankle injury ahead of the 2025-26 season, which disrupted his training. He arrived to camp in better shape after a healthy offseason, but still appears unsettled in his role.
The Flyers, who had a franchise-record winless streak to start the season, are struggling to regain footing in the standings. Philadelphia is 5-10-5 and in 14th place in the Eastern Conference. Their biggest organizational need right now is a center, as they tried to acquire Leo Carlsson via an offer sheet over the summer.