Moving Michkov: Debunking Wildest Flyers Conspiracy Theory of the Offseason

A tweet picking up steam this week claims the Philadelphia Flyers’ offer sheet was a cover-up and that the organization never actually wanted Leo Carlsson. Instead, the secret plan was to offload Matvei Michkov by making the Flyers an offer-sheet target out of retribution.

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It’s a fun theory. At the same time, it’s also almost entirely disconnected from what happened.

@insiderJayMoney writes:

“My Flyers Leo Carlsson conspiracy theory. The Flyers offer sheeted Leo Carlsson knowing that the Ducks were likely to match. This makes the Flyers an offer sheet target i.e. Matvei Michkov. They get 4 1sts and they get rid of their “problem child” in 1 move. Briere saves face.”

In other words, the Flyers are looking to trade Michkov and would happily take four first-round picks for him. Instead of shopping Michkov — which would look terrible on the organization — Briere was trying to position it as the Flyers losing their star player because a team was upset about the Leo Carlsson move. Other teams would feel like the Flyers got their comeuppance, but in reality, the Flyers moved on from a player they were trying to offload and got a good haul in return.

People on the thread actually bought the idea, with responses like, “They will be lucky if they get a two and a fourth for him. Talented players who don’t play defense and who are cancer in the room don’t have a big shelf life in the NHL in 2026.” Another added, “If the Flyers go down this road, they’re putting the nail in the coffin of this rebuild. The Flyers need star talent; they lack it, even with Michkov.”

Why This Michkov Theory Doesn’t Really Hold Up

The Flyers tendered a five-year, $90 million offer sheet to Carlsson on July 3, with an $18 million average annual value that briefly made him the league’s highest-paid player. Anaheim had seven days to match. They did. Carlsson never left the Ducks, and the Flyers received nothing back — no picks, no player, no return.

The conspiracy assumes the Flyers were angling for Anaheim to say no. While the Ducks were deciding, Philadelphia was left without real draft capital for trades or other moves. The Ducks could have said no and the Flyers would have gotten the player. Meanwhile, they were hurting public perception by being aggressive.

The move made the Flyers’ front office look aggressive and bold, but it also hurt their ability to do business. The Flyers have kickstarted an exploding RFA market where players are making more money than ever before. They aren’t immune, especially when it comes to 19-year-old Porter Martone. They’ll have to pay a lot to retain Martone if he keeps developing as expected.

Nothing connects this move to Michkov specifically. No reporting has suggested Philadelphia sees him as a “problem” they’re looking to shed, and Michkov remains a central piece of their rebuild. Briere’s history backs that up too — he’s been deliberately vague about timelines and has shown no signs of wanting to unload young core talent.

The simplest explanation remains the accurate one: the Flyers made an aggressive swing at a legitimate star, missed, and have had to come out publicly and say that they don’t care what teams think of their attempt. Briere believes the market was going this direction regardless. If he made the Flyers a target, so be it.

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