Yesterday, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that the 19-year-old defenseman, Mikhail Sergachev, will remain with the Bolts to begin the 2017-18 regular season.
The Lightning have until the 10th game of the season to decide whether Sergachev should stay in Tampa Bay or be sent back to the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. In addition, Tampa Bay will not receive the conditional 2018 second-round pick from the Montreal Canadiens if he plays 40 games in the National Hockey League.
Truthfully, Sergachev is exactly where he belongs and should remain with Bolts, even if it means losing a second-round pick in next summer's NHL Entry Draft.
After two seasons in the OHL with Windsor, the young blueliner has accomplished all he needs to at the junior level. The best thing for his game and the Lightning organization is that he continues his development at the NHL level. Just a quick look at the Bolts' defensive unit shows that there is nobody on this squad with more promise and potential, which means he needs every opportunity possible.
During the summer, it was hard to imagine Sergachev cracking Tampa Bay's roster. Not because of talent, but because of the logjam on the blueline that the Lightning currently have. The team technically has eight NHL-caliber defensemen and Sergachev is the only one that could be moved down without the risk of being snatched up by another team. However, it was clear how impressed the team was with Sergachev's ability when they paired him with Anton Stralman. This demonstrated that he not only belonged with the Bolts but that he may also be deserving of a more significant role.
For now, it appears that the Lightning will carry eight defensemen on their roster. Still, moving one of them, possibly Andrej Sustr, is not out of the question. No matter what this defensive unit looks like midway through the season, one thing is certain. Mikhail Sergachev will be a part of it.