The trades
Utah Hockey Membership will get: Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev
Lightning get: Defenseman J.J. Moser, ahead Conor Geekie, 2025 second-round decide, 2024 seventh-round decide (No. 199)
Utah Hockey Membership will get: Defenseman John Marino, 2024 fifth-round decide (No. 153)
Devils get: 2024 second-round decide (No. 49, used on goalie Mikhail Yegorov), 2025 second-round decide
Eric Duhatschek: Regardless of how carefully you scrutinized the commerce boards, you in all probability might discover no point out of Sergachev probably being on the transfer — to anybody, not to mention to the Utah HC. Sergachev appeared like a core piece on a Lightning crew that isn’t backing down from its aim of competing yearly for the Stanley Cup. He’s not fairly on the Nikita Kucherov-Brayden Level-Andrei Vasilevskiy stage, however he’s near it.
In order that’s the start line — how shortly issues can change within the NHL and the way in a different way issues are going to be achieved in Utah, with new possession in place. Abruptly, they’re not sellers. They’re shopping for. And on Saturday, they went big-game searching.
In Sergachev, Utah will get a participant who checks each field, besides the one for sturdiness. He was a real No. 2 in Tampa Bay and that’s solely as a result of the Lightning had a real No. 1 in Victor Hedman, the perennial Norris Trophy candidate. There have been occasions, two years in the past, when the Lightning deployed Sergachev on the highest power-play unit, which is how he led the crew’s defensemen in scoring with 64 factors (Hedman was subsequent at 49). Final 12 months didn’t go practically as properly. He performed solely 34 video games and scored solely 19 factors — a tough 12 months by which he broke his leg in February and was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher in his first sport again after beforehand lacking 17 video games with a lower-body harm. On some ranges, Tampa Bay by no means actually recovered from Sergachev’s extended absences.
Now, in fact, they’ll should muddle alongside with out him. However he carries an $8.5 million cap cost for the subsequent seven years, which isn’t unreasonable for a participant of his pedigree and age (26). But it surely’s one which Tampa Bay simply couldn’t afford. So his availability helped contribute to an enormous improve for Utah’s protection, which beforehand had solely the helpful Sean Durzi in place because the nominal No. 1. By including Sergachev after which John Marino in a separate cope with the New Jersey Devils, Utah’s protection turns into deeper, extra skilled and simply flat-out higher. If Utah’s aim is to lastly compete for a playoff spot after years wandering across the NHL wilderness, these two strikes will give them an opportunity to take action.
However Tampa Bay acquired what it wanted, too, clearing out cap house as we speak as in the event that they have been utilizing a snow plough. Tanner Jeannot, an addition that was far too aggressive (they gave up 5 complete picks to Nashville to get him), was arguably the most important mistake they ever made to remain in win-now mode. He’s now an L.A. King.
Moser, in the meantime, is simply two years youthful than Sergachev and is a restricted free agent popping out of his entry-level contract. He received’t do what Sergachev does, however he was second on Utah in time on ice this previous 12 months, simply behind Durzi, and nonetheless appears to have an upside. Plus, most significantly, he’ll come cheaply, not less than within the close to time period. Tampa Bay’s prospect pipeline, which was laid naked by all their win-now trades lately, will get replenished slightly with the addition of Conor Geekie, youthful brother of Morgan, who was the No. 11 draft selection in 2022, plus a second-rounder in 2025 (initially Toronto’s) and a seventh-rounder in 2024.
In all, two groups made two strikes every on the second day of the draft, the primary one so daring that it’ll have hockey followers speaking all summer season and into the season. It’s the kind of commerce we’d all wish to see extra of, one which theoretically goes to assist each groups higher modify to their developmental trajectories.
Having to maneuver Sergachev is the worth Tampa Bay pays for being so aggressive in protecting their core collectively for so long as they did. Lastly, you run out of choices. There’ll absolutely be slightly little bit of Schadenfreude across the NHL when this one sinks in — the truth that the Lightning had to surrender such a key piece. But it surely offers them respiratory room, too — to probably assist them get again into the dialog to signal pending UFA Steven Stamkos. And if Tampa Bay’s cap financial savings aren’t sufficient to maintain Stamkos within the fold, then they might use the additional money to probably get within the bidding for Jake Guentzel or any of the opposite A-list free brokers that might go to market on July 1.
Briefly, it’s one of many uncommon occasions after we can grudgingly admire what each groups did to assist themselves.
As for the Devils, them getting worth again — of any form — for a participant they have been prepared to maneuver on from is a tidy, if unspectacular, little bit of enterprise.
Utah grade: A-plus
Lightning grade: A
Devils grade: B
Shayna Goldman: After a quiet Draft Day 1, Tampa Bay and Utah simply gave Day 2 a jolt.
Earlier than even moving into the nitty-gritty of the deal itself, there’s one overarching theme to date for Utah — new possession is bringing a complete change of tempo from the Arizona period. The Coyotes had cap house however weren’t keen to apply it to lively gamers. Utah is already swinging large to spend money on their on-ice product, which makes this relocation and alter of possession all of the extra thrilling.
And speak about investments, with Utah bringing in Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino.
Utah had zero signed NHL defenders signed for subsequent season, so there was a ton of room to make a splash with large free-agent signings or trades.
Sergachev involves Utah within the second 12 months of an eight-year extension, carrying a $8.5 million cap hit. The massive query is how he can deal with enjoying harder minutes. That was the duty for him in 2022-23, when the Lightning moved Ryan McDonagh, and finally Victor Herman needed to take up a few of that workload when Sergachev appeared to battle. However that midseason utilization adjustment allowed Sergachev to flourish offensively and play to his strengths. The issue is that the Lightning (and the remainder of the league, actually) didn’t get to take one other take a look at how Sergachev might shoulder these minutes this 12 months as a result of accidents held him out for nearly the complete season.
However perhaps Utah received’t want him to play that function, as a result of it’s not like they’ve a Hedman forward of him on the depth chart. Because it stands, between their restricted free brokers, commerce acquisitions and even prospect pipeline, Sergachev is now Utah’s No. 1. So they can maximize his utilization in a manner Tampa Bay couldn’t.
The Sergachev addition is all of the extra fascinating with Utah’s subsequent step in thoughts — bringing within the righty Marino.
Marino is an intriguing bounce-back candidate. He plateaued in Pittsburgh after a promising begin to his NHL profession after which thrived in his first season in New Jersey. However he took a serious step again this previous season. Perhaps shedding his mainstay associate, Ryan Graves, had a much bigger affect on his sport than the Devils might have anticipated, or the cracks within the teaching methods wore on him. Regardless of the case, one other recent begin may very well be good for him. Utah might both throw him proper into matchup minutes on the second pair, or pair him with Sergachev for a balanced prime pair. There are a number of prospects right here, and Utah didn’t over-leverage themselves to make these offers, contemplating their pool of belongings.
As for Marino and the Devils, from New Jersey’s perspective, this deal makes some sense — particularly in the event that they wish to pursue a free agent similar to Brett Pesce. From a cap perspective, this deal needed to occur. Two second-rounders isn’t a nasty return, however it simply doesn’t do a lot for the crew proper now aside from transfer out wage. However with Marino’s no-trade clause kicking in on Monday, administration could not have had the time to discover a extra good return.
The Lightning confronted an identical state of affairs, with Sergachev’s no-trade clause additionally activating on Monday. The aim with the Sergachev and Jeannot trades appears clear: transfer out some cap house. With the return of McDonagh, the Lightning have a lefty for the second pair, and $8.5 million is a hefty value for a third-pair defenseman, if the thought was to maintain Sergachev on his pure aspect. Nonetheless, it feels as if administration ought to have as a substitute been specializing in shifting on from Erik Cernak’s wage, contemplating his ceiling and the way his model of play would possibly age.
Moser must be a welcome addition to bolster the Lightning’s depth, which was their largest weak spot final 12 months. He performed some powerful minutes in Arizona with out the perfect outcomes to indicate for it, however he is probably not as uncovered on the Lightning.
We will’t give Tampa Bay an incomplete — that’s now how these grades work — however it’s tough to guage this in its entirety till we see what the Lightning do with this cover house. Is it sufficient to increase Stamkos? If not, might it assist the crew land one other prime scorer on the free-agent market? If administration fails to do one thing worthwhile with the wage flexibility, the Sergachev commerce received’t age too properly.
Utah grade: A-minus
Lightning grade: C-plus
Devils grade: B
(Picture of Mikhail Sergachev: Bruce Bennett / Getty Photos)