Mikhail Sergachev: “I love this team … I think I’m ready for the NHL.”

By Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
June 28, 2017

BRANDON – Mikhail Sergachev quickly returned to North America, fresh off a European vacation just after winning a Memorial Cup championship.

It was while on vacation the former ninth overall pick from the 2016 draft found out he had been dealt from the Montreal Canadiens to the Tampa Bay Lightning. A move that not only altered his career path, but his vacation plans as well.

The 19-year-old defenseman arrived in Tampa late Tuesday and jumped right in to action Wednesday at the Lightning’s annual summer prospect camp. Even with a new pair of skates and new equipment that hadn’t been broken in, it was not hard to see why Sergachev is so highly regarded.

Right from the start, he stood out.

”I was with him in the elevator this morning. he’s big, he’s thick,’’ said Syracuse Crunch head coach Ben Groulx. “You can tell he’s going to be an outstanding player. No doubt about it. He’s mobile, pass the puck hard, shoots the puck, I was very impressed with him.’’

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The five days at prospect camp this week mark the first opportunity for the Lightning to get to know the player acquired in the deal that sent Jonathan Drouin to the Canadiens in a trade that caught many around the hockey world off guard.

That included Sergachev, who was half-a-world away when the deal went down on June 15 as he was hanging out in Cyprus, awoken unexpectedly from a nap.

”I woke up and I looked at my phone and I saw a DM on Instagram from a fan that said ‘Good luck in Tampa’,’’ Sergachev said. “I said ‘What are you talking about?’. So right away I went on Twitter and I read everything. I called my agent and then (Marc) Bergevin called me and (Steve) Yzerman called me and I talked to them.’’

After hanging up the phone, it didn’t take long for Sergachev to absorb the news and let everything sink in to quickly provide perspective on the events that had just transpired.

”At the beginning I was kind of frustrated because I was just drafted by Montreal and they gave me a huge chance as an 18-year-old and everything was going normal,’’ he said. “Then I get traded and I was a big fan of them. After about 5-10 minutes, it’s amazing (to think) that this team wants me more than Montreal and they want me to come play in the NHL and they want me to try to help them. That’s why I love this team.’’

That’s Sergachev, a quick learner capable of adapting to whatever is thrown his way, attributes that carry him well both on and off the ice. Just like when he made the decision to leave Russia and join Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League at the age of 16 because he knew it would further boost his chances of reaching his goal to play in the NHL.

After getting over some initial homesickness at the beginning, Sergachev thrived in his first season in North America. By the end of the season he established himself as one of the top available players for the 2016 draft after 17-goal, 57-point rookie season with the Spitfires, he rose the ranks of scouting services and landed as a top 10 pick and was the second defenseman selected.

He dove head first in to his English lessons with the same aplomb he does jumping in to the offensive zone with the puck on his stick looking to make a play.

Now, two years in North America, he speaks near perfect English to the point where trying to find a hint of a Russian accent is as difficult as it is trying to corral Sergachev in open ice.

”I just want to learn,’’ he said.

Sergachev learns quickly and he made enough of an impression on the Canadies as an 18-year-old that he made the team out of training camp and made his NHL debut in the season opener at Buffalo on Oct. 13, playing just under 12 minutes of ice time. After two more games with Montreal, he was sent back to Windsor where he once again was a dominant force for the Spitfires, getting one more NHL game under his belt in the season finale on April 8 at Detroit, playing over 17 minutes before heading back and capturing a Memorial Cup Championship, defeating Erie in the final.

”I saw him play one game, the Final and I thought he was a monster there,’’ Groulx said. “I spent many years in junior and I know when guys are the best players on the ice and you can tell he was playing every second shift and the other team was a good team, too, but when he was out there he was the best player on the ice.’’

Even in a simple summer prospect camp drill, it might be the same description.

”When you are on the ice with him you realize how powerful he is, how good of a skater he is,’’ Groulx said. “He’s a young player, so is he ready for the NHL? That’s not an answer I have. But the one thing I think right now, the future is bright with him. When you break down the attributes that he has, I think he has a lot.’’

Sergachev plans to show all of that off and more when he reports back to Tampa in September, first at rookie camp and then at main camp all with the intention of making the NHL team to start the season. He’s confident he’s ready to make that jump.

”I have to have a good summer, first of all, I have to be stronger, I have to be faster to play in the NHL overall to be successful,’’ he said. “But I also played a lot in juniors, two years for me, I think is a lot. I learned a lot from Windsor. I had a great D coach and head coach and all the coaches there are amazing and helped me a lot. So I think I’m ready for the NHL.’’

He’s already made that strong first impression on the first day with his new team and the team has made that same impression on him.

”Today’s impression was just outstanding because on the ice, doing the practice they fix little things that I would never notice so from that you can see it’s just outstanding,’’ Sergachev said. “They take care of you, they help you, they want you to make the team and be successful.’’

Less than two weeks after a trade that changed everything for Sergachev, he’s already jumped in, eager to learn, eager to improve and eager to help his new team be a success.

”It’s just great to be here and around the guys,’’ Sergachev said. “I got to meet Steve Yzerman, he obviously was an amazing player and is a great guy. It’s just cool. It’s just great to be here, I was never traded before, so this is a new team and I like it.’’

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