the reason behind Michkov's benching is likely due to deviation from the style of play expected from HC Sochi's head coach—nothing more serious or concerning—saying, "Sochi head coach Dmitri ...

Based on skill, we should see at least three or four Russian kids go in the first round - Michkov, Mikhail Gulyayev, Daniil But and Dmitri Simashev. But how many will go that high? Next item ...

Michkov and Smith are similar in a few ways. For one, they were top draft choices in 2023. Both spent their 2023-24 campaigns away from the NHL, too, and neither had a large workload. Their ...