Connor Bedard vs Matvei Michkov

[MMC]

A lot will change between now and the 2023 draft of course, but right now which prospect do you think is better?

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[Hockey Man]

Right now I would have to go with michkov seeing as he is the only one playing. In turn we know how he is adapting to more difficult competition. Granted I haven’t seen enough of either prospect.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

I’m a BIG Michkov guy, he’s so damn electric at such a young age. Definitely the best Russian prospect since Ovechkin/Malkin.

 

[Kranix]

70 goals in 26 games 2019-20 in Russia U-16??

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Please don't vote if you've not seen both play.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Whenever I've watched Bedard he seems like the worst puckhog ever and will stickhandle himself out of possession when there are A1 passing lanes he could've set people up for tap ins. Idk if this is common of players of his calibre at the level he was playing at, his coaches perhaps instruct him to play like this but his hockey IQ looked abysmal.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

All I know is I look forward to being inside the arena in Novosibirsk, Russia on January 5, 2023 when Canada and Russia faceoff in the final and Michkov and Bedard go head to head.

Should be a dooooooozy!!!

And each tournament I've been to in Russia, Canada has won Gold. So hoping this continues

 

[Fantomas]

All I know is I look forward to being inside the arena in Novosibirsk, Russia on January 5, 2023 when Canada and Russia faceoff in the final and Michkov and Bedard go head to head.

Should be a dooooooozy!!!

And each tournament I've been to in Russia, Canada has won Gold. So hoping this continues

Ah, sheeet. The World Juniors in my home town with Michkov on team Russia. I'm there.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Please don't vote if you've not seen both play.

Wouldn't be many votes then....

 

[ijuka]

Probably would be a great idea to wait until Bedard has some results in an actual hockey league, WHL or something. At this point in time, Michkov's achievements are way ahead, but Bedard's skillset theoretically might have more potential if the quality's high enough.

Some significant possibilities that Bedard's way overrated right now, Michkov is a million times more proven.

 

[bigdog16]

Im actually somewhat surprised at the poll so far. I wouldve thought there may have been a little bias there. What Michkov is doing now is insane. It will be interesting to see how Bedard adapts to the dub where he cant stickhandle through everybody

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Michkov or a kid who hasn’t played a game in juniour? This is going to be a landslide

 

[Hanji]

Anyone know how Bedard compares to top 2004 fellow North Americans? Has he ever played with/against them? Because none of these guys were in the same universe as Michkov at last year's Youth Olympic Games. This includes guys like Savoie, Fantilli and our entire NTDP-U17 squad.

 

[abo9]

woah isn't the MHL the equivalent of CHL in Russia? And Michkov was ppg (almost 1g/g) in it at 14????

sounds like insanity

 

[Kshahdoo]

Whenever I've watched Bedard he seems like the worst puckhog ever and will stickhandle himself out of possession when there are A1 passing lanes he could've set people up for tap ins. Idk if this is common of players of his calibre at the level he was playing at, his coaches perhaps instruct him to play like this but his hockey IQ looked abysmal.

That's actually exactly the way Michkov played in U16 league (yeah, all those goals, but Bedard scored a lot as well, and vs older oppponents). He's different in the MHL. I bet Bedard will change as well.

 

[EdJovanovski]

That's actually exactly the way Michkov played in U16 league (yeah, all those goals, but Bedard scored a lot as well, and vs older oppponents). He's different in the MHL. I bet Bedard will change as well.

I don’t watch much hockey in this age group so it may be really common for talents like that to play that way, that’s what Scouching told me anyway. But he’s the kind of player who would piss me off as a line mate

 

[Maplebeasts]

woah isn't the MHL the equivalent of CHL in Russia? And Michkov was ppg (almost 1g/g) in it at 14????

sounds like insanity

Yeah he's looking like at least the best Russian prospect since Ovi, maybe even the best ever by the time his draft comes around.

 

[barabas21]

I haven’t seen enough of either but everyone saying Michkov and it’s not even close. Bedard had 43G 41A in 36 games in one of the best U18 leagues in Canada as a 14 year old last year. I’d see he’s proven himself against older competition to this point.

 

[ClarkBolzano]

I haven’t seen enough of either but everyone saying Michkov and it’s not even close. Bedard had 43G 41A in 36 games in one of the best U18 leagues in Canada as a 14 year old last year. I’d see he’s proven himself against older competition to this point.

Looks impressive. Sorry for asking but is Bedard a Wing or a center. Cause Michkov is a wing, if they play different positions it would be even more difficult to compare both players.

 

[Maplebeasts]

I haven’t seen enough of either but everyone saying Michkov and it’s not even close. Bedard had 43G 41A in 36 games in one of the best U18 leagues in Canada as a 14 year old last year. I’d see he’s proven himself against older competition to this point.

Michkov right now is nearly a gpg player in the MHL and a 1.31 ppg as a 15 year old, following a season where he scored 70 goals in 26 games and produced more than 4 ppg in Russia's U-16 league last season. I can't even begin to put in to words how absurd his current season is. Amirov just went 15th overall in a very deep first round producing 1.29 ppg AS A DRAFT ELIGIBLE 18 YEAR OLD.

 

[Treb]

Michkov right now is nearly a gpg player in the MHL and a 1.31 ppg as a 15 year old, following a season where he scored 70 goals in 26 games and produced more than 4 ppg in Russia's U-16 league last season. I can't even begin to put in to words how absurd his current season is. Amirov just went 15th overall in a very deep first round producing 1.29 ppg AS A DRAFT ELIGIBLE 18 YEAR OLD.

Thing is we have no recent scouting on Bedard as he has yet to play this year. Michkov is proving to be a terrific junior player, but Bedard has yet to have an opportunity to show what he can do at a similar level.

Russia U-16 doesn't seem to be that great of a talent predictor. The two other players going over 4 ppg in that league last year did not make it to the MHL yet. All-time leaders are not that impressive either. Some good names, but many meh.

Again, Michkov is a great talent, but I think recency bias is overwhelming there.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Thing is we have no recent scouting on Bedard as he has yet to play this year. Michkov is proving to be a terrific junior player, but Bedard has yet to have an opportunity to show what he can do at a similar level.

Russia U-16 doesn't seem to be that great of a talent predictor. The two other players going over 4 ppg in that league last year did not make it to the MHL yet. All-time leaders are not that impressive either. Some good names, but many meh.

Again, Michkov is a great talent, but I think recency bias is overwhelming there.

Russian U16 leagues have different tiers, and the only other player, who ever had over 4 PPG in a tier1 league, was Andrey Svechnikov, who still played in a worse regional league (Volga zone is considered behind Moscow one) and was older, than Michkov.

Russian Tier1 leagues are: Moscow, Ural/Siberia, Volga and North West (mostly S.-Petersburg).

 

[ijuka]

Again, Michkov is a great talent, but I think recency bias is overwhelming there.

Except, no? Even last season Michkov was absolutely dominant in top tier international games. Bedard's not even played a game of such international hockey. Michkov's achievements just are on an entirely different level. All Bedard's done is perform similarly to Matthew Savoie at the CSSHL, and Savoie ended up being brickwalled by WHL.

 

[Atas2000]

Please don't vote if you've not seen both play.

Too late. The box of Pandora is already wide open.

 

[tony d]

I went with Bedard.