A major trade at the 2024 NHL Draft saw the Utah Hockey Club accelerate its rebuild.
In a blockbuster deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Utah General Manager Bill Armstrong added 26-year-old stalwart blue-liner Mikhail Sergachev, who will immediately become the top defensive presence in Salt Lake City.
It wasn’t a cheap price to recruit the Russian rearguard – no deal of this magnitude ever is – as the club parted with restricted free-agent defenseman J.J. Moser, 2022 first-round selection Conor Geekie, a seventh-round pick in this year’s Draft, plus a second rounder next summer.
A True Blue Chip Blue Liner
A two-time Stanley Cup champion, Sergachev has accomplished a lot in his early career. With the Lightning, Sergachev brought size and skill to the back end, and an efficient skating style that allowed him to play in any situation, including both special team configurations. Alongside his offensive touch, Sergachev provided an evolving physical game and the ability to play more than 22 minutes a night as a top-pairing defender.
Despite missing much of last season due to a leg injury, Sergachev recorded 19 points in 34 appearances. That was a continuation of his offensive dominance from the prior campaign when he led all Lightning defensemen with 64 points in 79 games, production that placed him top-10 in league-wide scoring from the blue line.
Signed through the next seven seasons at an $8.5 million cap hit, Sergachev immediately becomes the highest-paid player in Utah. The long-term nature of the deal provides nice assurance for Utah, as does Sergachev’s enthusiasm for his move west, even with the Lightning finalizing the transaction before his full no-trade clause takes effect Monday.
Beyond his on-ice play, Sergachev brings valuable intangibles to a Utah team looking to take the next step in its rebuild. On a squad without a captain and with few veteran voices in the locker room, Sergachev becomes the team’s only skater with a Stanley Cup ring. That’s no small factor for a team still growing and making progress each season. While Sergachev is unlikely to be anointed as the first leader in Utah, his championship pedigree can prove invaluable for a club that has shown a need for added guidance. Last year’s 14-game winless skid – when relocation rumors reached a fever pitch – truly underscores the need for a steadying presence for a club that could have postseason aspirations as soon as next spring.
Moreover, Sergachev’s presence should ease the transition for Utah’s Russian prospects, Dmitry Simashev and Daniil But, who are expected to join the team in the next year or two. Both Simashev and But lace up for the KHL’s Yaroslavl Lokomotiv and are likely to shift directly to Utah without seasoning in the minors. Having a familiar face and mother tongue will help the two adapt more easily to North America, reducing any concerns they may have about their coming pilgrimage.
Giving to Get - The Trade Pieces
So what did Utah give up to make such a deal possible?
Starting with the draft picks, it was apparent Utah would enter the Draft by moving some future choices. Holding a near embarrassment of riches both in the prospect cupboard and in its volume of picks, Utah was approaching the point of too much of a good thing – the club needed to move future assets to better the present, while also managing limitations like the cap on 50 signed players and the 90-slot reserve list.
Next, Moser. Drafted as a double over-ager in 2021, Moser made an immediate jump to the NHL after skating in his native Swiss league. A solid presence through three seasons in Arizona, Moser is a capable top-four rearguard who can eat minutes on the penalty kill and has enough of an offensive touch to put up respectable points. He stands fifth in his draft class with 72 points, and first among defensemen. But while Moser is a solid skater who does a little bit of everything well, there is no standout quality that differentiates his game.
In short, Sergachev is a clear upgrade to the back end. That is even more notable given that Sergachev, who celebrated his 26th birthday just four days ago, is less than two years older than Moser. In Utah, Sergachev now becomes a core piece alongside similarly aged players like Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse, and offers a longer-term solution on the back end compared to other available options like Aaron Ekblad, Shea Theodore, and Jacob Trouba.
The most difficult piece to move came up front with Geekie. Selected 11th overall in 2022 – and after packaging up three picks to make the choice – Geekie is a hulking 6-foot-4 center with a blossoming offensive game. This season, Geekie had 99 points in 55 WHL games before adding another nine points in as many playoff appearances. He then had a two-game trial run with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners at year’s end, providing him with an up-close look at what is needed from him as he aims to make the jump to the pro ranks.
While Geekie has plenty of promise, his development timeline indicated he was at least a few years away from being an NHL regular. Additionally, his effort level battled with consistency – dominating one night and appearing less engaged the next – which contrasts with the high work ethic Armstrong seeks to shape with his club.
Utah’s draft strategy Friday ultimately reduced the need for Geekie. The selections of Tij Iginla and Cole Beaudoin, forwards who may play up the middle when they reach the pros, further revealed Geekie’s expendability, as did Armstrong’s comments on the club’s late first-round selection of Beaudoin, who is considered one of the hardest workers in this year’s Draft class.
“[Beaudoin’s] work ethic and how he plays the game, I do believe he is going to be a huge piece of our culture in how he attacks every moment of the game with work ethic,” Armstrong said from the Draft, per reporter Patrick Brown. “He is an impressive kid. He is built like a Utah player should be built, in some regards. He is a big kid that works and doesn’t give an inch away on that ice.”
With no concerns around consistency for Iginla and Beaudoin, their roadmap to the NHL could be fast-tracked, despite being drafted two years after Geekie. Their additions seemingly left little space for Geekie, even more so with other young centers like Logan Cooley, Barrett Hayton, and Jack McBain already part of the organization.
Still, breaking down a team is undoubtedly the easy step of a rebuild. In that area, Armstrong has impressed, racking up futures by moving out former core players like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jakob Chychrun, and Christian Dvorak, in addition to taking on ugly short-term contracts like those of Zack Kassian, Patrik Nemeth, and Anton Stralman, among others, for additional draft pick compensation.
Next comes building it up, and the acquisition of Sergachev is that important first step. As excitement builds for Utah’s first season, Saturday’s blockbuster undoubtedly underscores a rebuild entering its second stage and Armstrong’s plan coming into greater focus.
- Cory Wilkins
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Great write-up. Best Coyotes/UHC coverage ever!