The Liberty Yell 112: Matvei Mania is Here

Much like Matvei Michkov, The Liberty Yell podcast, Episode 112 is here! Now available on all of your podcasting platforms.

Here’s a link to follow to Apple and Spotify, as well as a quick rundown of some top items discussed on this episode of The Liberty Yell:

⬛️🔶 EPISODE 112 🔶⬛️

Matvei-Mania is here! w/ @SuitableAlias.

– Michkov’s incredible preseason
– The importance of Jamie Drysdale
– The trio of Ersson, Fedotov, Kolosov
– Jett Luchanko has seemingly made the Flyers
– Risto/York’s training camp + more!

5 days. #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/qaG2pTEVOf

— TLY (@TheLibertyYell) October 7, 2024

Some points you’ll hear in the podcast:

Matvei Michkov’s preseason has been incredible

Yes, we are all aware it’s just preseason. No, I do not care. The rapidity of his adjustment to the North American game has been a sight to behold. I suspected this was possible. Matvei Michkov is a master of wall work, and placing him in an environment where wall work is at a premium would be trouble for the rest of the league instead of trouble for him.

But it’s still incredible just how well he’s adjusting. Once he’s read in on team structures and he figures out how to incorporate his off-puck scoring instincts fully into the North American game, the league is in massive trouble.

Jett Luchanko absolutely can develop in the NHL

The primary reason people are giving that this can’t happen is that he needs to develop his shot in Guelph. But that’s faulty reasoning for a multitude of reasons.

For one, he won’t develop his shot in Guelph because he’ll be too busy countering more terrorism than Jack Bauer. Developing his shot means shooting off of the pass, and there won’t be much of that going on.

For two, he is a two-way playmaking center with finishing ability around the net. I truly don’t care if he has distance shooting prowess. That would be like expecting Owen Tippett to develop his slot passing game in Guelph. Hell, I’ll go so far as to say that I’m actively looking forward to having one less Plexiglass Punisher on the squad.

For three, players work with shooting coaches to amazing results in the NHL all the time. From Nathan MacKinnon to, yes, Auston Matthews… they make radical changes to their shooting mechanics over summers. Travis Konecny, himself, is an example of this.

Jamie Drysdale’s development this season

This is the first time Jamie Drysdale has had total freedom of movement in over a year, and probably the first time he’s had total freedom of movement in the NHL setting in over 2 years. He doesn’t fully realize how much of a weapon his skating is, yet.

He also still has to push past the psychological barriers that come with playing healthy again after so long a time playing hurt. He’s abandoning skating-intensive plays when he doesn’t need to, because he’s still expecting shots of pain in the back of his mind.

Once that gets ironed out, I see no reason he can’t be a boosted Sean Walker as early as December of this season. And in the long run, despite the work that’s yet to be done, he still looks like he has the potential to become one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL.

So hurry up and put on the newest episode of The Liberty Yell. You’ll be thankful you did.