Does Matvei Michkov want out of Philadelphia? Will the Wild hang onto Quinn Hughes if he isn’t signed by the trade deadline? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST ON THE FLYERS

THE SCORE: According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov would prefer a trade. However, his colleague Emily Kaplan followed up, claiming the 21-year-old hadn’t formally asked to be traded.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov (NHL Images).

Weekes said the current turmoil within the Flyers’ organization is partly why Michkov wants to be traded. The young winger appeared to have a heated exchange with teammate Nick Seeler on the Flyers’ bench during Monday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

TSN: Chris Johnston reported Michkov hasn’t reached the stage where he’s asking to be traded. He said the Flyers don’t want to move him given his potential as a scoring winger. If they were to put Michkov on the trade block, Johnston believes they’d want “a prize centerman or a quality player” in return.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Jordan Hall reports Flyers general manager Daniel Briere denied Michkov wants out.

“One thing I can tell you, first of all, is Matvei Michkov is not going anywhere,” Briere said. “Let’s make that clear. Matvei is going to be here for a long time. He’s going to be a good player for the Flyers.”

A team source told Hall that the Flyers hadn’t been made aware of any possibility that Michkov wanted a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers coach Rick Tocchet has come under criticism for his handling of Michkov as he seems reluctant to give the youngster more playing time. This could be an issue despite the Flyers’ denials that he wants out.

Even if Michkov isn’t moved, there’s no question that all is not well within the Flyers’ camp. This lousy start following last season’s promising performance is taking a toll on the players, and it’s up to management to find a way to address this issue before it gets worse.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anthony Di Marco wondered if Flyers management might “take an axe” to their veteran core if their season doesn’t turn around soon.

Di Marco believes the Flyers have overvalued many of their abundant wingers. They include Tyson Foerster, Travis Konecny, and Owen Tippett, who were extended to eight-year contracts. He also cited sources calling out veterans like Konecny, Sean Couturier, Trevor Zegras, Travis Sanheim, and Cam York for not pulling their weight and helping the team in close games.

UFA-eligible defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is the most likely to be moved by the March 1 trade deadline. Di Marco also said the Flyers aren’t considering replacing head coach Rick Tocchet, and it’s unlikely it would change very much.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Di Marco’s column came out before the Michkov story broke. He’s previously reported about internal dissatisfaction with veterans like Konecny, Foerster, Tippett, Sanheim and York.

Whether management intends to tear things down this season remains to be seen. If they do, some of those veterans could be peddled for younger, NHL-ready talent or futures like draft picks and prospects.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: William James wondered if the Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks might be “perfect trade partners.” Both clubs are struggling this season and could make some roster changes.

James noted the Flyers’ need for centers and believes the Blackhawks could help. He suggested Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore as trade targets and doubted they would part with promising Anton Frondell.

The Blackhawks need scoring, and James suggested Tippett, Foerster, or young forwards like Alex Bump or Denver Barkey might intrigue Chicago.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nazar and Moore are centers, but they’ve also seen duty as wingers, especially Moore. Whether the Flyers target either player depends on whether they’re trying to move some of their veteran forwards. The Blackhawks probably wouldn’t be the only team they’d be talking to.

WILD COULD RETAIN HUGHES PAST THE TRADE DEADLINE IF UNSIGNED

NHL.COM: Nicholas J. Cotsonika reports Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin said all is quiet in contract talks with defenseman Quinn Hughes.

However, Guerin said he wouldn’t rule out retaining the 27-year-old defenseman for the rest of the season if he’s unsigned by the March 1 trade deadline.

Guerin said he’d like to hang onto Hughes for as long as possible. For now, he just wants the superstar blueliner to focus on hockey, pointing out that they’re a better team with him in the lineup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The uncertainty over Hughes’ future in Minnesota sparked some conjecture suggesting Guerin might be forced to move him if a contract extension wasn’t possible by the March 1 trade deadline.

The Wild are among the league’s best teams and could be considered Stanley Cup contenders when the playoffs start in April. Guerin could gamble that a Stanley Cup run, or even reaching the Conference Finals, might convince Hughes to sign an extension before July 1.