Claimed off Waivers: LA Kings claim Nikita Scherbak

[CauZuki]

Very talented player.

Pros:
Great wrister
pretty good playmaker
Very nice hands
Decent top end speed
Very good kid

Cons
Poor hockey iq
Poor positioning
Doesn’t move his feet
Poor defensively
Poor work ethic
Injury prone.

He's a better playmaker than scorer, disagree with work ethic , this is 100% made up based on his country of origin. Player doesn't have the classic Canadian hustle face and that somehow means no effort, some stereotypes never die...

 

[Filthy Dangles]

What is the love for this guy? He's never scored more than 28 goals at ANY level of competitive NA hockey. What makes anyone think he'll start now? I suspect he'll be back on waivers by the end of January.

Skilled young guy with draft pedigree

 

[JohnnyB11]

What is the love for this guy? He's never scored more than 28 goals at ANY level of competitive NA hockey. What makes anyone think he'll start now? I suspect he'll be back on waivers by the end of January.

As far as I can see it’s purely the fact he was a 1st round draft pick.

 

[Newsworthy]

When the first possible team claims someone it kind of shows he shouldn't have been on the waivers. Another great move by Bergevin.

I have to agree. Only time will tell if he will be a regular with Kings.

 

[Martyros]

When the first possible team claims someone it kind of shows he shouldn't have been on the waivers. Another great move by Bergevin.

or maybe it's because they suck and are desperate for any partially useful player?

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Montreal gives away what was once a top prospect for them.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

or maybe it's because they suck and are desperate for any partially useful player?

Zykov?

ultimately Amadio & Rempal should have been replaced by Zykov & Scherbak

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Just realized he only has 29 NHL GP, so isn't he still waiver exempt? Or was this some other kind of waiver/assignment that wasn't sending him down to Laval...?

 

[HabsInsider]

Disastrous mistake by Bergy...add it to the list of terrible moves.

 

[Schooner]

Just curious, but what’s good asset management for a non waiver exempt player that can’t force themselves on to the team? You bench the guys that have shown more than said player to help the player out or something? Put the team concept 2nd or something? Just spitballing here, what do you think?

He's not a 38 year old washed up scrub, you trade him for a 6th or 7th pick at the very least. Getting nothing for a talented 22 year old who just hasn't gotten it together is the definition of poor asset management. If he went to the first team eligible to claim him, I think there was a spot somewhere for him.

 

[Baksfamous112]

Send Agostino or Chaput back down. It would be one thing if Scherby was actually given a chance. He was benched the entire start of the season to the point that when an injury happened he was too rusty to play and they sent him on a conditioning stint and called up a career AHLer.

He was, by FAR, the worst player in training camp. It wasn’t even close. He was god awful in the few games he played in Laval. At one point, where does it end?

 

[King'sPawn]

Surprised the Kings filed a claim. They continue to surprise me. I'm happy with this move though.

 

[tmac51]

He's not a 38 year old washed up scrub, you trade him for a 6th or 7th pick at the very least. Getting nothing for a talented 22 year old who just hasn't gotten it together is the definition of poor asset management. If he went to the first team eligible to claim him, I think there was a spot somewhere for him.

Ok but on the flip side how do you know Bergevin hasn’t been trying to trade him? He’s insanely overrated.

 

[Prairie Habs]

He was, by FAR, the worst player in training camp. It wasn’t even close. He was god awful in the few games he played in Laval. At one point, where does it end?

He's looked good in the NHL before and wasn't given a single game this year. We couldn't have sent Chaput down and given Scherbak like 5 games before waiving him?

 

[Prairie Habs]

Ok but on the flip side how do you know Bergevin hasn’t been trying to trade him? He’s insanely overrated.

The fact the very first team in the waiver order got him means we probably could have gotten at least a conditional pick.

 

[TheBradyBunch]

He meant that his girlfriend was a typical instagram fake chick. Not that she was actually fake lol

@laurielgt if you want to check it out...

Ahh, makes sense. I was thinking it was a Manti Te'o situation. Now that I know she's a real fake girl, and not a fake real girl, the story is much less interesting.

He is dating Manti Te'o's ex girlfriend. It's no big deal, their both quite happy.....

This is exactly where my mind went lol.

The fact the very first team in the waiver order got him means we probably could have gotten at least a conditional pick.

My first thought was that other GMs insisted on sending a contract back and that maybe the Habs are close to the contract limit... nope. They have the 2nd fewest contracts on the books in the entire league (only Winnipeg has fewer). I agree, would have thought they could at least get a conditional pick, although I think there's a pretty good chance that any condition they would agree on would not be met, anyways.

 

[Baksfamous112]

He's looked good in the NHL before and wasn't given a single game this year. We couldn't have sent Chaput down and given Scherbak like 5 games before waiving him?

He’s looked good in a few games and god awful in most of them. Training camp was a disaster, AHL was a disaster this year and the guy can’t stay healthy for 10 straight games. Sucks for him, the habs and the fans but it is what it is. No place for him in Montreal. I hope he finds his game in LA but I doubt it will happen.

We said the same about DLR, Andrighetto, Jerebek, Morrow etc...

 

[UnleashRasmus]

If your a team like LA or Edmonton you always take a chance on guys like Scherbak and Zykov. You are having a dreadful season and you get a chance to at least see if they fit within your structure and sometimes a new team gives you a new lease on life. Yes, neither did much to prove their consistent NHL scorers, however you take the risk.

 

[Habaneros]

Montreal gives away what was once a top prospect for them.

that dont mean too much..lol
Montreal has waived or traded or let go of many..and none have ever turned into anything great..sadly...lots of busts

With Sherbak, it's about injuries.....ya he got a little flash ...but he went from a serious knee injury in Oct 2017 to a bad concussion toward the end of 2017-2018 season...then this season 2018-19 he was out with lower body injury which was likely another knee injury.....chances are high he will get stuck on your NHL IR....then if you want to send him down for conditioning you lose him..lol...he is injury prone because how he plays ...

 

[tmac51]

My first thought was that other GMs insisted on sending a contract back and that maybe the Habs are close to the contract limit... nope. They have the 2nd fewest contracts on the books in the entire league (only Winnipeg has fewer). I agree, would have thought they could at least get a conditional pick, although I think there's a pretty good chance that any condition they would agree on would not be met, anyways.

This. He would have more value being waiver exempt than not. He’s not an NHL player. Willie D will misuse him and he’ll be out of LA by the off-season.
Edit: meant the NHL not LA

 

[Canada4Gold]

Just realized he only has 29 NHL GP, so isn't he still waiver exempt? Or was this some other kind of waiver/assignment that wasn't sending him down to Laval...?

Players don’t stay waiver exempt forever even if they don’t play games. There’s a season limit as well, Sherbak reached his before this season. Similarly Andreas Johnsson played 9 games in the NHL before this year but reached his seasons limit so also isn’t waiver exempt.

 

[Balthazar]

What is the love for this guy? He's never scored more than 28 goals at ANY level of competitive NA hockey. What makes anyone think he'll start now? I suspect he'll be back on waivers by the end of January.

He really isn't good and more than likely won't become a regular NHL player, ever. It's just that fans unconditionally love their 1st rounders.

 

[Extra Texture]

Predictable. He was never going to last on waivers. Good for the Kings

 

[MasterMatt25]

Now lets see if his fake instagram girlfriend follows him since he’s out of montreal!

What's the point in a comment like this? Mind your own business

 

[KingCanadain1976]

I am happy we picked him up. I saw a few games he played in the and when u first come up I think if willie will gave him a shot he would work with carter and toffoli as line mates With pearson gone and Kova hurt he would work out well