SALT LAKE CITY – On Wednesday, the NHL Network continued their preseason position rankings by releasing their top 20 list of the league’s best defensemen. Surprisingly, Utah Hockey Club’s Mikhail Sergachev did not make this list despite being named to it last season.
Here they are!
What do you think of our Top 20 Defensemen Right Now list? @NHL | #NHLTopPlayers pic.twitter.com/UL0i1xtwWf
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 29, 2024
Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Sergachev appeared on the NHL Network’s list at No. 17. This was following an impressive individual performance where he recorded 10 goals and 54 assists with an overall plus/minus of +13 the previous year.
Here are the best defensemen in the league right now! #NHLTopPlayers pic.twitter.com/XO96x7wUiN
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 20, 2023
Understandably, Sergachev missed 48 games last season after sustaining fractures to his left tibia and fibula. That’s a significant amount of time which cut his season well-short. He also only recorded two goals and 17 assists in those 34 appearances.
However, the NHL Network is allowing the injury to impact their decision more than they should. Yes, he missed a majority of last season but his numbers the previous year resulted in a whopping 64 points, and even if you simply averaged out his production from last year over 82 games, he would’ve outperformed several other defenders who were named to the list.
In 34 games, Sergachev was averaging half an assist per game. Multiply that by 48 more appearances, add it to 17 and you get 41 assists in addition to another 3 goals (based on his average) which would result in 46 points on the year. That’s more than No. 20 Moritz Seider (42 points), No. 19 Dougie Hamilton (16 points) who only appeared in 20 games and would just be a point behind No. 18 Noah Hanifin who finished with 47 points.
Now, taking those averages and assuming that’s automatically what he would’ve produced isn’t exactly a complete argument. But let’s look at his career stats. Outside of his rookie season, Sergachev has never finished with less than 30 points and has always finished with a positive plus/minus except for last season. Additionally, in the four seasons where he played more than 75 games, the two-time Stanley Cup Champion averaged 43.5 points and a plus/minus of +10.5.
Nobody is arguing that he’s a top five guy, but to be left out of the top 15-20 is the definition of a snub.
Despite being snubbed, Sergachev is exactly what the club needed to take the next step in their rebuild. With one of the worst goals against averages (3.34, 25th) and power kills (76.3%, 25th) in the league, Utah was clear in their intentions this summer when they made the trade for a two-time Stanley Cup Champion defender.
Entering his first season with the club, Sergachev’s performance will have a massive impact on the success of the team. If he can return to his 2022-23 season form, Utah will keep a lot more pucks out of the net which should result in more victories and just might help the squad secure a playoff spot.
Fans can watch Sergachev’s first game with the Utah Hockey Club on October 8 against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks. Click here for the full schedule.
