Mikhail Sergachev was taking out the trash last week when his phone rang.
Then it was time to pack his bags.
“At first it was a shock,” the Russian defender said Friday morning at the Delta Center. “I didn’t expect to be traded.”
After seven years with the Tampa Bay Lighting, the Utah Hockey Club signed the star defenseman in the NHL Draft – a transfer that has dragged on for years and which the franchise hopes can help a young team take the next step.
Utah has made a number of additions in recent days – none bigger than the addition of 26-year-old Sergachev, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, to the roster.
What will the defender bring to his new club?
“That would probably take 20 minutes to answer,” said head coach Andre Tourigny. “I think he’s a versatile guy. He plays good defense. He moves the puck really well. He’s got a good shot, can play power play, play penalty kill and he’s a proven guy.”
Sergachev finished last season with 19 points – two goals and 17 assists – but was sidelined for some time with a knee injury. Meanwhile, Utah general manager Bill Armstrong has been waiting patiently for some time to secure a player with Sergachev’s skill set.
“We always contacted every team in the NHL that had a No. 1 defenseman and just planted the seed,” Armstrong said.
He had the wealth.
He just needed a willing partner.
When Tampa came to him with a proposal last week, Armstrong slept on it, even though he knew the decision was a no-brainer.
“When do you ever get a chance as an organization to add a No. 1 defenseman to your roster? There’s no opportunity like this,” Armstrong said. “This was the deal that could help our franchise take the next step, and we were able to pull it off.”
If the deal had been completed 48 hours later, it would have had to overcome another hurdle: a pending no-transfer clause in Sergachev’s contract.
“I was traded two days before it went into effect. So I had no choice,” he said Friday when asked about the clause. “Knowing what I know now, I would probably forego it.”
The 1.90 m tall Russian admitted that he knew very little about Salt Lake City before the transfer.
“I didn’t know anything about Utah. But when I talked to my agent, the players and (Utah forward Clayton) Keller, everyone said great things about Utah,” Sergachev said. “It’s pretty amazing, the whole thing, the city. I’m very excited. It’s a great opportunity for me to prove myself as a leader. So I’m looking forward to it.”
