Get to Know Mikhail Sergachev

Date of Birth: June 25, 1998 (18)

Place of Birth: Nizhnekamsk, RUS

Ht: 6’2” Wt: 205 lbs

Shoots: Left

Position: Defense

Team: Windsor Spitfires

For many young European defensemen, the adjustment to small ice and a North American playstyle can take time; but not Mikhail Sergachev, as the 6’2″ all around defenseman took the OHL by storm and won the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenseman. Sergachev cemented his place as one of the top three defensemen in the draft and made a case for himself a a top 10 selection this June.

Statistics

What Scouts See

Matias Stozyk, Elite Prospects

A dominant two-way defenceman whose tenacity and competitiveness characterize his style of play. Plays with a poise and confidence that facilitates his creativity with the puck as well as split-second decision making. Naturally fluid skater who is always looking to be engaged, if not the center, of each unfolding play. All-in-all, a diligent two-way defenceman who excels at finding ways to be a difference-maker in games.

Craig Button, TSN

Windsor Spitfires defenceman Mikhail Sergachyov can do it all. He’s an excellent skater with the quickness to jump into the attack and the requisite footwork to operate in tight areas and beat pressure. He has a very good shot and the smarts to get into offensive spots where he can make a contribution. He also can deliver body checks that make life unpleasant for opponents.

Corey Pronman, ESPN

Sergachyov is a fantastic skater for a big man, showing a technically sound stride and an above-average first step. He moves the puck well, is a creative power-play quarterback showing good patience and vision, and has a rocket for a shot. Sergachyov wins battles, shuts down lanes due to his speed, frame and toughness, and has an edge to his game as well. His defensive positioning can use some tweaking, but he shows a decent amount of awareness in that area, even if I wouldn’t qualify his hockey IQ as high-end. He’s a player with a lot of upside.

What BSN Avalanche sees

It’s no surprise that Mikhail Sergachev was selected as the OHL’s top defenseman last season, because more often than not, he makes OHL hockey look easy. Sergachev is two-way defenseman with an extraordinarily smooth and efficient stride. He has a big body and isn’t afraid to use it, but more impressive is Sergachev’s understanding of leverage. He uses his quick feet to maintain gaps and control space against forwards, and when he does need to engage physically, he is balanced, strong on his feet, and difficult to shake off. Sergachev is every bit as quick laterally as he is explosive in a straight line, so his ability to react and adjust to opposing forwards is unparalleled in his draft class.

With the puck, Sergachev is patient and responsible even under a heavy forecheck. He keeps his head up looking for smart outlet passes and knows when to carry it the puck up ice himself. He is a good passer and possesses a decent wrist shot, but offensively Sergachev’s biggest weapon is his bomb of a slapshot. Of the draft’s top three defenseman, Sergachev certainly has the lowest offensive ceiling. Sergachev is less active and aggressive in the offensive zone than Olli Juolevi and Jacob Chychrun, and his offensive instincts lag a bit behind those two, but his defensive play and raw toolkit might make him the defenseman in the draft regardless.

NHL Potential

Mikhail Sergachev has been praised for his solid all around game and projects as a solid two-way top four defenseman at the NHL level. With a big frame and a mature playstyle, he is arguably the most NHL ready of the draft’s top three defensemen and while his ceiling is probably lower than Olli Juolevi’s or Jacob Chychrun’s, he has the safest floor at the NHL level.

Expected Draft Position

Sergachev is widely regarded as one of the draft’s top three defenseman and most scouts project that he will come off the board in the draft’s first ten picks. ESPN’s Corey Pronman is an outlier significantly lower on Sergachev and ranks him 17th.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

If the Avalanche prospect pool is deep in one place, it’s in the left shooting defense position. Nikita Zadorov and Chris Bigras have graduated to the NHL, but both are still just 21 years old, while 22 year old Duncan Siemens remains in the AHL as available NHL callup and 21 year olds Will Butcher, Andrei Mironov, Mason Geertsen and Anton Lindholm and 20 year old Sergei Boikov remain quality prospects in the Avs’ system.

While the team still hopes that one of those prospects can play top pairing minutes with Erik Johnson, the Avalanche remain one of the worst possession teams in the NHL and are still searching for an elite blueliner on the left side. It’s important to maintain positional balance in an organization’s prospect pool, but if the Avalanche feel that Mikhail Sergachev can provide top pairing minutes down the road then he’d still be a good fit. In the long run quality trumps quantity every time.

Sergachev is a big body and excellent skater, two seemingly high priority traits for the Avalanche when assessing defensemen, so don’t be surprised to see Sergachev’s name called if the blueliner is available when the Avalanche pick 10th overall.