It’s been almost two years since perhaps the most shocking trade in Philadelphia Flyers history took place. Star forward Cutter Gauthier was sent to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick, forced by the former’s reluctance to play in the City of Brotherly Love.
We still don’t do that Real know the reason why Gauthier refused to sign with the team even though there are speculators are probably close. Regardless of why it happened, the 21-year-old is reaping the rewards: It was a genius move.
Flyers pretend that Michkov doesn’t exist
Gauthier couldn’t have known the Flyers would hire Rick Tocchet as head coach, but he’s lucky he jumped ship early. Sophomore winger Matvei Michkov has been left aside by the team’s new bench boss, without any attempt to play to the youngster’s strengths. They pretend he doesn’t exist.
It sickens me to say it, but Cutter Gauthier probably made the smartest career decision of his life by leaving Philadelphia…
— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) December 15, 2025
Some new coaches are adjusting their system in favor of star players. Others meet somewhere in the middle and try to make the transition easier. Tocchet is neither.
Despite Michkov’s efforts to acclimatize and even produce some solid results on the ice (54.24% expected target share at 5-on-5), according to Evolving-Hockey– he stays in the doghouse. Nearly two minutes have been subtracted from his average ice time from last season and he was benched in two of the team’s last three overtime games. They were all eventual losses.
The Flyers, and Tocchet in particular, are not concerned with Michkov’s development. Winning games (after finishing last season with the fourth-worst record in the league, mind you) is the priority. This is done through dump-and-chase hockey, which limits the attack but prevents it from going the other way. It killed any semblance of a transition-based attack, one of Michkov’s greatest weapons.
Related: Flyers News and Rumors: Tocchet’s Immaturity, Murchison and More
Although he has had to completely change his game, Michkov has done some good things this season. He is tied for fifth in points and second in expected target share at 5-on-5, while ninth in average ice time among forwards. It’s extremely difficult to make any significant impact in those types of roles, but he actually does a pretty good job.
If Michkov were the focal point of the offense, similar to the final nine games of last season under interim head coach Brad Shaw, the team probably wouldn’t be 16–9–6 right now. More likely, they would have a mediocre record as a young player learns how to lead a team to greatness.
But if the Flyers ever win a Stanley Cup, Michkov will likely have to be the one to call the shots. In theory, the goal this season should have been to get him ready for when that time comes. Instead, Tocchet isn’t just against top usage; he also goes out of his way to restrict a young player and regularly insults him in interviews. It’s a nightmare on Broad Street.
Gauthier’s Excellence in Anaheim
Then you have Gauthier’s situation. Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, is the yin to Tocchet’s yang. Perhaps the reason one is so distinguished as a bench boss, while the other is not, has to do with their different approach to young players.
In Anaheim, Gauthier and other young Ducks have had the freedom to generate offense. Sure, mistakes are made. But a 19–12–1 record, good for second in the Pacific Division, is the reward. The Ducks win through high-end skills, unlike the Flyers’ restrictive style, which only hinders the development of their youth.
This season, Gauthier scored 16 goals and 18 assists in 32 games. Being such a key contributor in Anaheim has boosted his confidence while also helping him learn better habits.
Not so with the Chicago Blackhawks, where Quenneville formed a dynasty all young players had free rein. But Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the team’s crown jewels, saw big minutes in their first seasons.
Of course, there’s no way Gauthier could have predicted that Tocchet would be hired by Philadelphia and Quenneville by Anaheim. But his choice to demand a transaction from an organization stuck in the past is paying off enormously. As things stand now, it could be the best choice of his life – a sobering reality for fans of the Orange and Black.
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