When the Utah Hockey Club acquired top defenseman Mikhail Sergachev this summer, they hoped he could be a key player in their hunt for a postseason appearance. Let’s face it: They gave up two promising young players, J.J. Moser and Conor Geekie, to add him to their roster.
The former Arizona Coyotes had not appeared in the playoffs since the pandemic-stained 2019-20 season when additional teams were added using a “play-in” strategy. While the then Coyotes were able to get by the Nashville Predators in the first round, they fell to the powerful Colorado Avalanche in five games.
General manager Bill Armstrong knew that, with that history, he needed to tear it down and complete a rebuild. He has been doing just that, and now, with the move to Utah and an owner who supports the hockey team’s efforts, things are falling into place. Armstrong noticed that he needed to improve his defense, so he went right out and traded for Sergachev to fortify his blue line. Then, he followed that up by acquiring another good D-man in John Marino.
It seems set in stone that the first blue-line pairing will include Sergachev with Sean Durzi on his right side. Durzi, who contributed nine goals and 32 assists in a Coyotes’ uniform last season, will complement Sergachev. They are both offensive threats while being competent defending.
Sergachev Has Won Two Cups
One thing the newly added Utah team inherited from the Coyotes’ history is that they have never won a Cup. Of course, Utah is in the same category playing in their initial season in the NHL. The difference could lie in adding players like Sergachev and Kevin Stenlund, who have had their names engraved on Lord Stanley’s Cup. That experience is vital in any locker room when important games are on the line.
Related: Utah’s Mikhail Sergachev: From Grassroots to Stardom
The other factor that indeed attracted Sergachev to Armstrong was his playoff statistics. In 100 playoff contests, he has tallied nine goals and 25 assists. He is an excellent puck-possession player with a respectable 52.2 percent Corsi For statistic.
Excitement Is Building in Utah
Every city, especially Seattle and Las Vegas, knows what it’s like to have a new NHL team to watch and follow. Both of these new franchises have been excellent revenue-generating organizations. You need to know someone to get a ticket to a Vegas Golden Knights game. Their initial success of going to the Stanley Cup Final in their first season really got the fans pumped.
The Seattle Kraken, reaching the playoffs during their second season of existence, have been drawing huge crowds to games. They averaged 17,887 last season, while Vegas pulled in 18,139.
Utah does have a smaller arena but is renovating Delta Center to increase its capacity over the next two to three years. The arena is set up for National Basketball Association (NBA) play, and the new owner, Ryan Smith, realizes that the fanbase will increase significantly when he sells more tickets to his new NHL club’s games.
Utah Hockey Club Could Be Headed to the Playoffs
The team has a realistic chance of making the playoffs. The team will be more competitive, with young players hitting their prime, such as Clayton Keller, Lawson Crouse, Matias Maccelli, Logan Cooley, and Dylan Guenther (who recently re-signed). Add that they have augmented their blue line, and things could fall into place for them.
Many hidden factors can affect whether a team qualifies for the postseason. Injuries always play a role, but every team must contend with that. According to head coach Andre Tourigny, Sergachev may be the missing ingredient to get to the playoffs. Tourigny allows his players to set their expectations.
We will now wait to see how significant the acquisition of Sergachev becomes as the new season is set to open on Oct. 8 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
