LD Mikhail Sergachev (2016, 9th, MTL; traded to TBL)

[Hfbsux]

Maybe if Montreal had defensemen who can actually skate and pass, the mediocre forward group would look a lot better, and they might be a playoff team right now.

Bar none, a d-core featuring McDonagh, Subban, and Sergachev would be the best in the league right now. Scary to think what could've been for the Habs in that regard.

Oh well though, guess it's almost time for them to trade Galchenyuk for Eric Staal.

Year after year, Montreal was winning a bunch of games 2-1 with good defense and great goaltending. The big problem was scoring goals, even with great passer and puck carrier like Subban and Markov around. It was pretty clear that we needed to upgrade our forwards. Not signing Radulov hurts tho.

 

[optimus2861]

Montreal can't score. We are lacking skilled forward and Drouin is a good one. I wouldn't be so quick to judge a 22 yrs old offensive talent as a "soft winger who won't be able to lead his team anywhere"...

It's not like we didn't get anything back in the Subban and Sergachev trades. As for Markov, that's pushing a little bit. The guy is 39 years old and wanted a salary inscrease. Good thing we let him walked away, we need cap space.

Man, I live in Halifax, I watched Drouin here. He wasn't the straw that stirred the drink down here when the Mooseheads won that Memorial Cup, Mackinnon was. Drouin was very, very good, but he's not the leader, the go-to guy, and if Montreal insists on casting him in that role, he'll fail. He's Pacioretty all over again; he'll put up RS numbers, against non-playoff teams, then vanish when it counts unless he has better teammates to take the heat of playoff checking. And in Montreal, he doesn't and he won't.

It was a misguided trade made because the organization really wanted a shiny new toy to promote to the media, and they proclaimed him as a center because otherwise their halfwit GM would've been roasted for failing to address the need at center, again. Just all the wrong reasons. Par for the course in Montreal.

Oh, and as for cap space? Cap space don't score you goals or keep the puck out of the net. Idiotic in the extreme to let Markov walk while sitting on that much space.

 

[Hfbsux]

Oh, and as for cap space? Cap space don't score you goals or keep the puck out of the net. Idiotic in the extreme to let Markov walk while sitting on that much space.

Cap space will give you the chance to make an offer to a guy who can score goals. I'm not saying they will sign Tavares, but IF he makes it to the waivers, Montreal sure will offer him the maximum allowed, which will probably be around 14-15M. Markov as much as I do respect him, is past his time. I would have signed him for less than 5. He wanted more than 5, that is just too much. As for Drouin, I can see your point as I was following the Wildcats and Mossehead closely. but he still has a lot to learn. I just hope he looks up to Gallagher and not Pacioretty. He can't be worst than Pacioretty tho.

 

[optimus2861]

Tavares to Montreal is something of a pipe dream for Habs fans if you ask me. Especially if the Habs miss the playoffs. I can't fathom why he'd take on the pressure of being the anointed saviour for that team in that market when he could sign a slightly less than max $$ contract elsewhere and save himself the headache.

 

[Hfbsux]

Nobody knows where is head's at. But I'd rather have Bergevin trying to get that 1C that has been missing for decades than signing an over the hill defenseman for more than 5M. At the same time, by not spending 9M the team can tank and get a better draft pick, which is what I've been hoping for.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

How much time did he spent in NA minors? He spent time with our school which I would never claim credit for, because he is a Nizhnekamsk kid and Nizhenkamsk and Vityaz product. Good thing the OHL hasn't ruined him.

Know back to knowledgeable posters who care more aout actual hockey than your puny attemptsof what exactly?

Well, everytime a russian player looks bad when he comes over, you come flying in saying shoulda stayed in russia, not fun to read when its the other way around or what?

 

[LeafChief]

How much time did he spent in NA minors? He spent time with our school which I would never claim credit for, because he is a Nizhnekamsk kid and Nizhenkamsk and Vityaz product. Good thing the OHL hasn't ruined him.

Know back to knowledgeable posters who care more aout actual hockey than your puny attemptsof what exactly?

He was good enough for the OHL. The OHL doesn't ruin players. Some players just can't hack it. You can keep those ones.

 

[Zine]

He was good enough for the OHL. The OHL doesn't ruin players. Some players just can't hack it. You can keep those ones.

Atas2000 may be a bit harsh but he's on the right track. Fact is, almost all Russians ruin themselves by going to the CHL, even our high-end guys.

Take note it's not because CHL is a bad development league, but rather because the transition between Russia and North America too drastic for most Russians to handle at such a young age. Russia and NA are worlds apart in so, so many ways. Night and day. By and large, such a transition is an accident waiting to happen for a young kid.

Of course there are exceedingly rare outliers. It's good to know Sergachyov is one of these.

 

[LeafChief]

Atas2000 may be a bit harsh but he's on the right track. Fact is, almost all Russians ruin themselves by going to the CHL, even our high-end guys.

Take note it's not because CHL is a bad development league, but rather because the transition between Russia and North America too drastic for most Russians to handle at such a young age. Russia and NA are worlds apart in so, so many ways. Night and day. By and large, such a transition is an accident waiting to happen for a young kid.

Of course there are exceedingly rare outliers. It's good to know Sergachyov is one of these.

I don't disagree with anything that you just said.

The culture shock itself is most definitely really difficult.

For a poster to say that "the OHL ruined another russian player" is just stupid. The resources and skill level provided by the OHL for players that age is FAR more advanced than anything you can find in Russia.

 

[Zine]

I don't disagree with anything that you just said.

The culture shock itself is most definitely really difficult.

For a poster to say that "the OHL ruined another russian player" is just stupid. The resources and skill level provided by the OHL for players that age is FAR more advanced than anything you can find in Russia.

Not really.
For kids of this level in Russia, there are generally 3 playing scenarios:
1. MHL - Top to bottom it's roughly USHL level imo, which isn't FAR behind the CHL. Top clubs are easily CHL quality.
2. VHL - A men's league approximately ECHL level. Level of play far exceeds the CHL and the higher quality juniors generally get solid ice time.
3. KHL - 2nd best league on the planet.

The only additional resources the CHL offers is early exposure to the NA style of game (which is almost always nullified by the negative effects of culture shock) and more exposure to NHL scouts and GMs.

Anyways, we're getting off topic. Good to see it worked out for Sergachyov.

 

[Atas2000]

Not really.
For kids of this level in Russia, there are generally 3 playing scenarios:
1. MHL - Top to bottom it's roughly USHL level imo, which isn't FAR behind the CHL. Top clubs are easily CHL quality.
2. VHL - A men's league approximately ECHL level. Level of play far exceeds the CHL and the higher quality juniors generally get solid ice time.
3. KHL - 2nd best league on the planet.

The only additional resources the CHL offers is early exposure to the NA style of game (which is almost always nullified by the negative effects of culture shock) and more exposure to NHL scouts and GMs.

Anyways, we're getting off topic. Good to see it worked out for Sergachyov.

1.MHL's top teams are easily better than top CHL teams. I am eagerly waiting for the CHL to join the junior teams Cup. They won't, because they know they won't look good.
2.Again VHL's top teams are AHL level.

The most important point though is that Russia offers a player the opportunity to move through all 3 those options easily and without restrictions like in NA, where players drafted out of the CHL aren't allowed in the AHL till 20m the 9 game clause and so on. The russian system is way more flexible, while obviously every single player-case is different depending on where he is coming from.

 

[Wats]

Atas2000 may be a bit harsh but he's on the right track. Fact is, almost all Russians ruin themselves by going to the CHL, even our high-end guys.

Take note it's not because CHL is a bad development league, but rather because the transition between Russia and North America too drastic for most Russians to handle at such a young age. Russia and NA are worlds apart in so, so many ways. Night and day. By and large, such a transition is an accident waiting to happen for a young kid

What does ruin mean though? What are you guys defining as success?

There will always be a % of Russian prospects that don't make it in NA. Similarly, a large number of prospects who stay in Russia don't make it.

 

[DieTomi]

He f***ing sucks and will never produce in the NHL.

 

[Antropovsky]

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This is just crazy so far.

Not defending the trade for Montreal.. but your comparing the deepest overall roster to one of the least talented. It's not fair to look at individual stats in a vacuum.

 

[Gargyn]

2 straight healthy scratches. Kids come down to earth with a thud. Hasn't been good at all in the past dozen or so games. Hopefully he figures it out soon.

 

[Caser]

 

[Atas2000]

2 straight healthy scratches. Kids come down to earth with a thud. Hasn't been good at all in the past dozen or so games. Hopefully he figures it out soon.

You are writing about a kid many weren't certain will get past game 9 this season, remember? Being scratched for a couple of games as a rookie is nothing to get worried about.

 

[Gargyn]

You are writing about a kid many weren't certain will get past game 9 this season, remember? Being scratched for a couple of games as a rookie is nothing to get worried about.

Wasn't just the scratches. He's looked really bad for quite a long time now. Last night he played well in the 9 or so minutes he got. He needs to trust his skills and do what he did tonight, jump up in the play when the opportunity presents itself. He's never going to be a stud in his own end but he can be a big time contributor on offense.

 

[Atas2000]

He's never going to be a stud in his own end

Not true.