Flyers hit with new concern following Matvei Michkov fine

That is not a suspension, and it is not something that changes the lineup. But it is still the kind of league ruling that grabs attention when it involves one of the most watched young players on the roster.

The report circulating Tuesday put Michkov under a different kind of spotlight, even if the play itself did not look nearly as clear-cut as the fine suggests.

The amount is standard under Rule 64 once the league decides to act. So the $2,000 figure is not the real story.

The bigger issue is that the NHL reviewed the play and still chose to label it embellishment. That is what gives this some weight.

At the same time, the clip leaves room for debate. Michkov did seem to take a pretty solid cross-check on the play, which is why this does not feel like some blatant, exaggerated flop.

Here is the clip in question:

That distinction matters. There is a difference between a player clearly throwing himself down with no contact and a player reacting to a real shove in a way the league thinks sold it too much.

Michkov falls much closer to the second category here.

For the Flyers, the problem is not the money. It is the conversation that follows a player once embellishment gets attached to his name.

Refs notice that stuff. Opponents notice it too. And once it is in the public file, every borderline call around Michkov is going to get viewed through that lens for a while.

Still, this does not have to be framed like some huge stain on him. Watching the play, it is easy to understand why some people think the league went a little hard on it.

Yes, Michkov may have sold the contact. But he also looked like he took a legitimate shot, which makes this a lot more debatable than a classic flop.

That is probably the fairest way to read it. The NHL made its call, but the video does not exactly make Michkov look ridiculous.

Philadelphia will want him to stay away from this kind of attention, of course. But this feels more like a gray-area league ruling than some embarrassing dive that should follow him around for weeks.