The Utah Hockey Club traded for Mikhail Sergachev on Saturday in a shocking move. This deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning was the first of two moves they made at the 2024 NHL Draft. But it gives the NHL's newest franchise a truly elite defenseman who could help them make a playoff push. On Saturday, the new Utah HC star sent some heartfelt words to his now-former team.
Sergachev posted an image of him raising the Stanley Cup on Instagram on Saturday. In the caption of this post, he thanked the Lightning for the opportunity. He also addressed the team's medical staff, fans, and coaches as he bid farewell to the Lightning organization.
“Thanks to the coaches, I’ve learned a lot from you. Thanks to the medical staff, I love you guys❤️ and huge thanks to the players that I played with, you truly made it special! I was proud to call myself a bolt and I gave my absolute everything to this team! Tampa will always be a home to me and my family!” the new Utah HC star wrote on his Instagram on Saturday.
Mikhail Sergachev became elite with Lightning
The Utah Hockey Club is not the first team to trade for Sergachev. Tampa Bay traded for the star defenseman back in 2017 when he had just four NHL games under his belt. The Lightning acquired the 26-year-old from the Montreal Canadiens that year. And he immediately showed promise in Tampa Bay.
Sergachev played a somewhat limited role at first, playing around 15 to 17 minutes a night. But he provided important secondary offense for the Bolts. In fact, he scored nine goals and 40 points in his first season in Tampa Bay. And he maintained a 30+ point pace in the seasons following.
In 2022-23, though, he truly broke out. Sergachev scored 10 goals and a career-high 64 points for the Lightning in 79 games. He clearly earned the trust of the team's coaching staff as he averaged nearly 24 minutes a game. That mark is a career-high for the 26-year-old. Over the course of his Lightning career, he won two Stanley Cups, as well.
The 2024-24 season was extremely rough for Sergachev, however. Sergachev suffered multiple injuries that limited him to just 34 games in the regular season. He was able to return for the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers. However, Tampa Bay fell to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in five games.
Mikhail Sergachev is receiving a new start with the Utah Hockey Club for this upcoming season. If he can stay healthy, Utah HC has itself a legitimate top-pairing defenseman. And he could be a major piece in helping the NHL's newest franchise contend for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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