Flyers’ savior? | Sports Daily Newsletter
Matvei Michkov is expected to join the Flyers next season and could be a game-changer.
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The Matvei Michkov era is about to begin.
On Sunday, sources confirmed that Michkov, a star forward who had two more seasons left on his contract with Kontinental Hockey League club SKA St. Petersburg in Russia, will join the Flyers next season. Though the details regarding those steps for his leave have yet to be disclosed, his arrival in Philadelphia will be a game-changer for the organization. He can potentially be an offensive talent that the team hasn’t seen in some time.
But columnist Mike Sielski isn’t jumping to any conclusions. The 19-year-old standout still has plenty to prove. He’s just one piece of a puzzle that the Flyers are still putting together.
— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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Spencer Turnbull will move back into the starting rotation after the Phillies placed pitcher Taijuan Walker on the 15-day injured list with right index finger inflammation. Turnbull is scheduled to make his start on Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers — his former team.
To fill Walker’s spot on the 26-man roster, the Phillies called up right-handed pitcher Michael Mercado from Lehigh Valley. Mercado, 25, is available to make his debut right away, but manager Rob Thomson is hoping to find the right situation for him.
On Sunday, Cristopher Sánchez held off Arizona, throwing seven innings of shutout baseball in the Phillies’ 4-1 victory. His success on the mound comes a day after signing an extension. Speaking of extension, columnist David Murphy wonders what it will take to get Ranger Suárez to sign one.
Next: The Phillies (Aaron Nola) and Tigers (Casey Mize) face off at Comerica Park in Detroit this evening (6:40 p.m. on NBC Sports Philadelphia).
Dallas Goedert is excited by how new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore utilizes tight ends. Goedert had a career-high 59 receptions last season in a year when he missed games due to a forearm injury, but he could have a bigger role now — even with other star players on offense.
Grant Calcaterra, who’s in competition for the second tight end spot, thinks Goedert will have a great year, saying, “Every time he’s out there, he’s doing something spectacular. He knows and we all know that he’s a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end, All-Pro tight end.”
The Sixers will have five first-round picks and multiple pick swaps over several seasons available to trade beginning Wednesday night, the start of the 2024 draft.
Drafting a solid NBA-ready player or trading for one to secure a third star would be a major success. However, an inability to do so would be viewed as an offseason failure, and one that also determines their championship window with Joel Embiid on the roster.
The players, manager Jim Curtin, sporting director Ernst Tanner, and the team’s ownership — whom fans protested during Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Charlotte FC at Subaru Park, are accountable for the state of the Union.
But it’s hard to avoid that one player bears a large portion of blame: centerback Jakob Glesnes. As of lately, the 30-year-old has been beaten in one-on-one situations that have led to goals. That is a shocking problem for a player who was MLS’s defender of the year in 2022, and he knows it.
Next: The Union will be on the road to take on Montréal on Saturday (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
Worth a look
Player of the game: Christian Pulisic, a Hershey native, led the USMNT to victory over Bolivia in its Copa América opener Sunday evening.
‘Reinvent yourself’: Drexel coach Zach Spiker talks about navigating the new college basketball landscape.
Recruiting: Imhotep’s Jabree Wallace-Coleman, a top running back in the state, commits to Penn State after withdrawing his pledge to Georgia.
Stock rising: Phelps School forward Will Riley will join Illinois this coming season. He’s considered one of the highest-ranked recruits to land in the program.
On this date
June 24: The Sixers drafted Andre Iguodala 9th overall in the 2004 NBA draft. The swingman, who spent eight seasons in Philly, was the only 76er to play and start all 82 regular-season games plus five playoff matchups his rookie season. He finished fourth in voting for NBA Rookie of the Year. Other players the Sixers drafted on this date include Larry Hughes (8th overall, 1998), Evan Turner (2nd overall, 2010), and Clarence Weatherspoon (9th overall, 1992).
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jackie Spiegel, Mike Sielski, David Murphy, Keith Pompey, Lochlahn March, Isabella DiAmore, Diamond Leung, Jeff Neiburg, and Jonathan Tannenwald.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
That’s it for me — hope you all have a wonderful Monday. Jim will be out this week, so I’ll be back tomorrow! — Isabella