Player Discussion: Mikhail Sergachev

[Bolt32]

On Serge - this is one of the weirdest rookie years of a player I can think of, especially at D. The number of "rookie games" - where he's making mistakes based on a lack of experience - are probably fewer than 5 all year. While he has some growing to do, he doesn't commit the mistakes that I would expect from a rookie. There aren't a lot of bad turnovers or bad reads, or even bad pinches.

Also - for the Habs fans that may be stopping by - I notice a big part of the question is "if Yzerman knew Sergachev was so good, why include the 2nd round pick as a conditional?"

Two reasons. One - you never know how a 19 year old is going to translate, even if you're over the moon for him. That's the obvious one. The second issue and one that gets overlooked: he had to beat out Slater Koekkoek for his spot. KK is not waiver eligible and is in his D+5 season. Yzerman wanted to give him a shot to make the top 6. If KK played even or better than Sergachev in camp/through ten games, he probably gets the roster spot. He didn't outplay Serge, so he didn't get a regular spot - but Yzerman was basically playing a game of "I get Serge + 2nd in the pipeline if KK does well, or I get Serge if KK doesn't impress."

To be fair. I do think KK deserves a top 6 spot in the NHL. Kid is NHL ready, just hes buried badly on our roster. Feel kind of bad for him.

 

[Lightning1995]

To be fair. I do think KK deserves a top 6 spot in the NHL. Kid is NHL ready, just hes buried badly on our roster. Feel kind of bad for him.

I’ve wondered if KK can beat out Coburn, but probably risky in the playoffs. Probably need the vet presence especially with Serg in the top 4.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

I’ve wondered if KK can beat out Coburn, but probably risky in the playoffs. Probably need the vet presence especially with Serg in the top 4.

the Coburn underrating here continues

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

the Coburn underrating here continues

Are you waiting for someone to point out the fact that you systematically accuse every player on our roster of being underrated?

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Are you waiting for someone to point out the fact that you systematically accuse every player on our roster of being underrated?

we have some players who are overrated

as of late stamkos is becoming overrated, a few overrate kuch, vasi is a tad (no hes not the best goalie in the nhl @Hutton ), Johnson and palat get occasionally overrated, anyone who thinks sustr and budaj are nhl level is overrating them. not to mention our properly rated players like killorn and kunitz.

 

[More 2004]

Smdh. Hard to read when my eyes are bleeding

 

[Sky04]

The most impulsive guy here is talking about short term rated-ness.

 

[Werewolf]

To be fair. I do think KK deserves a top 6 spot in the NHL. Kid is NHL ready, just hes buried badly on our roster. Feel kind of bad for him.

Koekkoek is ready for full time NHL duty - no doubt. But we need the depth so we can't move Coburn yet. I'm guessing we move Coburn after the playoff run this summer ... we'll ask Coburn to submit his 16 teams and Yzerman will go to work. Masin is first pairing in the AHL right now ... so one long playoff run down in the AHL as the first pairing guy will have him ready for injury call-up duty next season.

I'd be totally comfortable with Koekkoek as the third pairing LHD on this team. We have endured Carle and Garrison in the top 4 and made it work ... Koekkoek on the third pairing is a nice option to have. Serge is now cemented on the top 4 for the next 12 years.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

I’ve wondered if KK can beat out Coburn, but probably risky in the playoffs. Probably need the vet presence especially with Serg in the top 4.

Don’t forget that koekkoek has playoff experience.

 

[Stormbreaker]

All-Stars to Mikhail Sergachev: Take scratch as a learning opportunity
Some good quotes/advice from all-star's to Sergachev.

 

[LightningStrikes]

 

[LightningStrikes]

 

[VinikToWinIt]

Don’t forget that koekkoek has playoff experience.

He was awesome too. But I don't expect him to jump back to that after sitting for a few months.

 

[Bolt 45]

Getting a bit of a Pronger vibe from Serg in his first playoff series. Pretty sure he's Public Enemy #1 on the Jersey bench after the last one. Jersey fans claim he said a not very nice thing to Boyle following their tussle, hence the credible death threat from Boyle at the end.

 

[Steazy Doo]

Getting a bit of a Pronger vibe from Serg in his first playoff series. Pretty sure he's Public Enemy #1 on the Jersey bench after the last one. Jersey fans claim he said a not very nice thing to Boyle following their tussle, hence the credible death threat from Boyle at the end.

What was supposedly said? And why do the lowly devils fan know it and not anyone else?

 

[JoVel]

What was supposedly said? And why do the lowly devils fan know it and not anyone else?

From the Hedman spear thread:

Real tough guy going after a kid. Dirt bag. And the other dirt bag tells Boyle he wished he died. Unreal.

That's because most of the video of the exchange circulating on the internet is the CNBC version, because it shows much more of what Boyle was saying. The MSG+ feed was showing a little more of Sergachev once they moved toward the benches.

Honestly, it's not the kind of accusation, even of a player on the opposing team, I would believe unless I saw video of it myself. When I saw people referencing it on Twitter I thought it was just Devils fans trying to justify what Boyle was saying. Saw some lower quality highlights of the MSG feed, and I couldn't really tell.

Then I saw the replay on MSG today. In HD. And it's absolutely, 100%, what Sergachev said. If you see a clear replay of the MSG version, there's no denying what he said. Opposing team or not, I'd like to give the kid the benefit of the doubt. But he said it.

 

[Bolt 45]

What was supposedly said? And why do the lowly devils fan know it and not anyone else?

Allegedly—and I've seen/heard zero proof as of yet—Serg might have brought Boyle's health into the fold. I'll just leave it at that. The claim is that the MSG+ feed picked up more of their conversation than the NBCSN feed.

Maybe it's true, maybe it's not. I will say that the fine citizens of New Jersey are very accomplished rumor peddlers, as gossip is the official state pastime of New Jersey.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Allegedly—and I've seen/heard zero proof as of yet—Serg might have brought Boyle's health into the fold. I'll just leave it at that. The claim is that the MSG+ feed picked up more of their conversation than the NBCSN feed.

Maybe it's true, maybe it's not. I will say that the fine citizens of New Jersey are very accomplished rumor peddlers, as gossip is the official state pastime of New Jersey.

What's wrong with it if he did? Isn't that what chirping is supposed to be, something that really pisses off the other player?

 

[JoVel]

What's wrong with it if he did? Isn't that what chirping is supposed to be, something that really pisses off the other player?

I guess but some things are too much beyond hockey to be chirped about imo. But it's in the players' hands what they say and what they don't, it's not like the league is going to give fines for chirping. Kind of when Alex Burrows chirped Jordin Tootoo about his brother's death, yes, it does take your opponent out of their game but not something I'd do. But I have no idea what chirping is like in the NHL, maybe things like that are more common than I thought.

 

[VinikToWinIt]

What's wrong with it if he did? Isn't that what chirping is supposed to be, something that really pisses off the other player?

I don't know, some things are still better left unsaid.

 

[Bolt 45]

What's wrong with it if he did? Isn't that what chirping is supposed to be, something that really pisses off the other player?

I tend to agree. I guess it's a matter of sportsmanship, and some things being off-limits? It's brazen as hell, from a nineteen-year-old kid, I'll say that much. That's hard not to like.

And in any event, if something like this breaks the unspoken honor code of hockey (if it even happened), I'm prepared to give a pass to an adrenalin-fueled teenager, in his first playoff series, who's just wrestled with a grown man in an arena full of hostile fans.

FWIW, Boyle was kind of brushing the whole melee off after the game. He probably really enjoyed it, if we're being honest.

 

[HoseEmDown]

I can see chirping a guy for his wife leaving him, ala Craig Janney but not if his wife dies like Dominic Moore. That's kinda where I draw the line. Boyle seems like he's beaten this cancer, I haven't followed his whole prognosis and everything but heard with the early detection he should be fine. So chirping him on it isn't too bad.

 

[DaBolts]

Serge-Hall fight coming up.

 

[AndreRoy]

The way I see it you don’t bring somebody’s family into it beyond the sort of generic crack about their mother/sister that everybody over a certain age just laughs off. Talking about someone’s sick or recently deceased relative is crossing the line IMO. But the player himself is fair game. So even if Serg did indeed make reference to Boyle’s recent cancer scare I don’t have a problem with it; however if he said anything about Boyle’s son then I do.

 

[The Macho King]

From the Hedman spear thread:

Yeah I don't buy that for a second.