"Matvei Michkov will go to Washington, you'll see. The Capitals will definitely draft him. Michkov, who has refused all meeting requests from team representatives in Russia, did so following requests from his team, SKA, to discuss with no outside representatives. Everything seems clear as crystal. Michkov will not be selected in the top three because of his 3-year contract in Russia. It's hard to imagine Montreal (5th) selecting him. Teams like Arizona (6th) or Philadelphia (7th) understand he might not make it to the NHL until he's 26. In 8 seasons, the management group can change. What's the point of picking a prospect who will only help the team under your successor's reign? There's only one real competitor for the Capitals and that's the San Jose Sharks (4th) because the team owner loves Russian hockey and is a fan of Igor Larionov. If for some incredible reason the Caps don't pick him, he'll go to the Vancouver Canucks (11th), but according to my information, the Capitals are seriously considering selecting Michkov to succeed Alex Ovechkin." - Anonymous Russian Source