Matvei Michkov and four other things to watch as Flyers begin rookie camp Thursday

Michkov Mania officially descends upon the Philly sports scene on Thursday.

Russian phenom Matvei Michkov finally will hit the ice for rookie camp in Voorhees among a who’s who of the Flyers’ future.

Yes, Michkov assuredly is the biggest name to participate, but the Flyers will hope several other players out there will be skating alongside him for years to come — possibly winning those championships Michkov mentioned back in July.

Here are five things to watch for as the Flyers open up rookie camp:

» READ MORE: Flyers top 10 prospects: Matvei Michkov is No. 1, but where does Jett Luchanko land?

The expectations are Michkov will have a big year in the NHL, but it bears repeating that he is just 19 years old (he turns 20 in December) — and we may not see the winger’s full potential until the likes of Oliver Bonk, Denver Barkey, and Jett Luchanko join him on Broad Street in future seasons.

The London Knights duo of Bonk and Barkey will add another dimension to the Flyers lineup in the future, and could be foundational pieces like Michkov.

Bonk, who has taken giant steps forward, could find himself at the Flyers’ main camp for an extended stay. He’s a defensive-minded defenseman and also can find the back of the net — “Bumper Bonk” anyone?

Meanwhile, Barkey, a third-round center taken in that same 2023 draft class as Michkov and Bonk, established himself as a surefire NHLer last season with an impressive 102-point twirl through the OHL and a run to the Memorial Cup final.

Then there is 2024 first-rounder Luchanko, who will be looking to build on a development camp where he showcased speed and tenacity. The center needs to work on his hands a bit, but his ability to get up the ice and open space could be a fit on a line alongside the sniper Michkov.

Rookie camp is a great chance for Flyers fans to see this star-studded quartet of the future under one roof.

Flyers fans finally will see what Massimo Rizzo can bring to the ice. The forward signed a two-year contract in April after helping the University of Denver win an NCAA title and joined Lehigh Valley for its playoff push and postseason run. But Rizzo did not play in any American Hockey League games because of injury, nor did he skate in the drills portion or scrimmage of July’s development camp. According to a team source, he is healthy and expected to be a full participant at rookie camp.

An undersized center who probably projects long-term as a winger in the NHL, Rizzo was dealing with a high ankle sprain that held him to 30 games last season for the Pioneers. He did notch 44 points and a career-high 34 assists, however, and showcased a creative side akin to Morgan Frost.

“A playmaking centerman,” Rizzo said when asked to describe his game by The Inquirer in May. “I like to say that I have pretty good vision on the ice, like to use my teammates, and set up plays. I try to be a two-way forward and usually a pass-first kind of guy, but I definitely love to score goals, and [I’ve] tried to shoot more as I’ve gotten older.”

» READ MORE: Prospect Massimo Rizzo aims to show he can make the jump from NCAA champion to the Flyers

While the roster is littered with teenagers, there are several “veterans” suiting up. Forwards J.R. Avon, Elliot Desnoyers, Jacob Gaucher, Samu Tuomaala, and Zayde Wisdom and defensemen Emil Andrae and Helge Grans spent the majority of last season with Lehigh Valley.

For Tuomaala and Andrae, it was their first full year in North America, and, although they started off strong, both players’ production dipped as the longest season they’ve ever played wore on. The duo should push for roster spots when the Flyers’ big camp begins Sept. 18.

Rookie camp is a chance for this group to push the pace, be leaders, and showcase why they deserve time next week. It’s also a chance to show that, although they may be a bit older, they still are working toward an NHL spot. One of those guys is Wisdom, who was a highly touted prospect when he was drafted in the fourth round four years ago. He struggled last season and only registered two goals and three points in 49 games with the Phantoms.

There’s no guarantee that Hunter McDonald and Spencer Gill will play together at rookie camp, but the towering defensemen were a formidable pairing in the development camp scrimmage.

Both standing 6-foot-4, they held their opponents at bay and moved the puck up the ice well when paired up. Gill, who was drafted in June, is a lanky blueliner with major upside at both ends of the ice. He also is a sponge and was constantly seen speaking with some of the elder statesmen and coaches on the ice at development camp.

Being paired with McDonald, who grew his game at Northeastern and then at Lehigh Valley this past spring, had to have had its positives. McDonald was one of the standouts at the scrimmage, as the 2022 sixth-round pick’s stock continues to rise. He scored after a nifty poke check off a broken play, protected his own net, and blocked several shots. When asked about guys who impressed him in the scrimmage, assistant general manager Brent Flahr brought up McDonald.

“His game, his size, his aggression. Obviously, he’s big, long, he’s very strong, and he’s a strong skater,” Flahr said in July. “He’s just a hard, hard guy to play against. There are facets of his game that he’s going to have to work on here going forward to get to the next level, but he’s doing the work. He’s really improved since we’ve drafted him, and he’s put himself in this position where [John Tortorella] is impressed.”

» READ MORE: The Flyers signed a Finnish goalie to a tryout offer. What does that mean for Alexei Kolosov?

There shouldn’t be any donnybrooks at the Flyers Training Center, but the gloves could come off in Allentown when the Flyers face off against the New York Rangers rookies on Friday and Saturday. Forward Sawyer Boulton, the son of notorious NHL enforcer Eric, doesn’t shy away from his lineage.

“I like to bring energy to the whole lineup,” he said during development camp. “I like to stick up for my teammates, make sure they feel safe. Make sure they have room and try to be good defensively. Keep the puck out of our net and play gritty games.”

Signed to a two-year AHL contract in early July, Boulton was a teammate of Barkey and Bonk last season with London. According to HockeyFights.com, he partook in six fights in the Ontario Hockey League with his “top fight” coming against Florian Xhekaj, the younger brother of Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj.

And sorry, Flyers fans, Matt Rempe is not on the Rangers roster for their rookie camp. There is, however, Dylan Roobroeck, who HockeyFights notes had five fights last season for Oshawa in the OHL.

» READ MORE: Samu Tuomaala almost quit hockey two years ago. Now, the Finnish prospect is pushing to make the Flyers.