John Tortorella: ‘Not Interested’ In Making Matvei Michkov A Checker

John Tortorella: ‘Not Interested’ In Making Matvei Michkov A Checker

Before we start here, I think we need to set the stage. The Flyers head coach, John Tortorella claims that he’s not interested in making Matvei Michkov a checker. He’s far more concerned about his offensive ability. We’ll get to the quote next, but first I need to kindly remind you about what he said about Connor McDavid a few years ago.

John Tortorella believes Connor McDavid has to change his game to win the Stanley Cup 🏆

"You're not just going to fill the net during playoffs." pic.twitter.com/rkO8nCsYhO

— ESPN (@espn) November 11, 2021

Yes, Torts really said McJesus needs to change his game ^^^

Okay, now we’ll get to the quote.

“We are starving for the types of instinctive plays that he can make,” Tortorella told ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. “I’m not interested in turning him into a checker. We want to lay the foundation. It’s going to take time. But are we going to beat him over the head with it? No.”

“I think that’s the key thing when you’re dealing with offensive players. There are certain times in the game when you’ve just got to be simple. You may have to fight another day to make that play,” Tortorella said.

“That’s something I know we’re going to have to teach him. But I want to let him go. We’re not going to try to stifle him in any way as far as his creativity.”

Flyers Take The Swing They Need in Drafting Matvei Michkov

Signs for growth from Torts? Maybe the Flyers won’t screw this up.

The general manager, Danny Briere, certainly has a different tune on the Russian import. Michkov, 19, was the 7th overall pick during the 2023 NHL Draft and will make his NHL debut this season.

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