The Montreal Canadiens have come to terms on an Entry-Level Contract with their top pick from the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Selected with the ninth overall pick, Mikhail Sergachev has all the makings of a superstar defenseman at the NHL level. With the Canadiens recently trading away their top young defenseman in P.K. Subban, having a player like Sergachev in the mix is vital for their future success.
Done deal, @sergachev31! đź“ť
WATCH -> https://t.co/qvHSxnhMUB #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/wEEAYchm6f— Canadiens MontrĂ©al (@CanadiensMTL) July 1, 2016
The Russian-born defender just completed his first season in the OHL, but he turned heads with his size, and offensive abilities. Sergachev is 6-foot-2 and weighs 220 pounds and managed to post 57 points in 67 games with the Windsor Spitfires last year, good for third among all OHL defensemen. Numbers like that don’t happen by fluke, and the 18-year-old defenseman looks like he could have a very bright future in the NHL one day if he can learn to refine his defensive game without mortgaging too much of his offense.
Sergachev has elite vision and puck-moving ability that looks like it will eventually translate seamlessly to the NHL. While it isn’t clear if the Canadiens intend on playing Sergachev at the NHL level this season or not, he will definitely garner a ton of attention at training camp as the Canadiens try to re-claim their stake as one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference just one year after missing the playoffs.
Regardless of Sergachev’s status on the Montreal Canadiens next season, the club will look different due to the other transactions the team made. Whether it be the signing of Andrew Shaw, Zach Redmond, Al Montoya or Alexander Radulov, or trading away PK Subban in exchange for Shea Weber, the Montreal Canadiens will be a drastically different club this year. The Canadiens will also have franchise goaltender Carey Price back at 100% health, which will probably be the biggest factor of their season.