Overview
- TV cameras caught an animated bench conversation with Matvei Michkov during the Rangers game, which Rick Tocchet said was about when to switch with Denver Barkey on the power play and was not an argument.
- Tocchet voiced frustration at repeated questions, saying "enough is enough," and pointed to Philadelphia’s 17-10-7 record and strong seasons from Dan Vladař, Jamie Drysdale and Cam York.
- Following the exchange, Michkov and Barkey recorded assists on Travis Sanheim’s power-play goal in the eventual 5-4 shootout loss to New York.
- Michkov’s usage and production have dipped from his rookie year, with 19 points in 34 games and average ice time down to 14:43 from 16:41, fueling scrutiny of his deployment.
- Some outlets describe the clip as overblown and online chatter has included trade speculation, which remains unconfirmed and rooted in debate over the winger’s development.