The conclusion of a new contract by Mikhail Sergachev with Tampa Bay can be safely called a historic event for domestic hockey.
The total amount of the eight-year agreement was $68 million. No Russian defender has ever earned so much in the NHL before.
It is not surprising that the native of Nizhnekamsk was overwhelmed with emotions after the announcement of an agreement with the club.
“My father always says that what separates a great player from just a good one is stability.
I sometimes miss her, ”said Sergachev.
Moreover, starting in the 2023/24 season, Mikhail will surpass Victor Hedman, whose salary with bonuses is $7.875 million a year, to become the Lightning's highest paid defenseman.
The athlete's side also managed to add an important option to the contract - during the first four years, the hockey player cannot be put up for exchange.
In the next four years, such an opportunity will appear, but he himself will have the right to announce a list of 16 teams where he would like to move.
It was possible to knock out fabulous conditions, among other things, thanks to the help of the well-known agent Dan Milstein, who already represents the interests of two other Russians defending the colors of the team, Nikita Kucherov and Andrey Vasilevsky.
The beginning of his work with Sergachev became known only in July.
Mikhail was previously represented by Mark Gandler.
According to Milstein, he immediately agreed with the club's general manager Julien Brisbois to sign a new agreement a year before the expiration of the old one, as was the case with Vasilevsky and Kucherov.
The agent had no doubt that a good offer would be made to the client.
“He has been playing for the Lightning for many years, he won two Stanley Cups with him.
He is only 24 years old, and they see enormous potential in Misha.
On the contract itself, we agreed quickly.
We discussed the nuances longer - the size of the bonuses, the point that the club cannot make an exchange without the consent of the player ... ”, Milstein is quoted as saying by Match TV.
For many athletes, big money becomes a serious burden, and they find themselves unable to cope with the pressure of responsibility.
But, according to the agent, Sergachev should not think about it.
“Who said that he wouldn’t play with this money?
I advised him: “Misha, during the season, do like Nikita and Andrey - delete your social networks, stop reading everything from the press.
You don't have to take on too much.
Just play hockey,” Milstein said.
The fact that the Russian could be offered a new long-term contract became clear as soon as Ryan McDonagh was traded to Nashville for Philip Myers and Grant Mismash.
Immediately after this, Brisbois suggested that Sergachev would now play a more important role in the John Cooper team.
“First we had to get rid of McDonagh's contract.
This is what we did.
Now we have to think about who will form the backbone of our defense, ”said the general manager.
On the same day with Sergachev, another young defender, Eric Chernak, signed a long-term agreement with the club, whose annual salary, however, will turn out to be significantly less than that of a partner, and will amount to $ 5.2 million. Thus, the management of Tampa Bay clarified for the coming years to the defensive line, taking into account the departure of McDonagh and the age of Ian Rutta and Victor Hedman.
On the one hand, the Lightning decision looks absolutely logical.
Firstly, Sergachev just turned 24 years old, and in the near future he will have to progress and play a more prominent role.
Even by the end of the contract, he will be 33 years old - far from old age for a defender.
And if the rate of the general manager works, then later, taking into account the growth of the salary cap, the Russian will not have to overpay.
Secondly, a native of Nizhnekamsk, despite his youth, already has a lot of experience.
At the age of 17, he was not afraid to go overseas, at 18 he made his debut in the NHL and became the youngest defender in the history of Montreal to ever go on the ice in league matches.
And at the age of 19, he already won a place in the main team of Tampa, a team whose ambitions already stretched to the Stanley Cup final.
Cooper was not afraid to trust the young hockey player.
As a result, already in the first season, he spent 79 meetings in the regular championship and 17 in the playoffs.
So Sergachev became an important part of one of the strongest teams in the league.
By the age of 24, he managed to take part in three Stanley Cup finals and win two of them.
Most do not have this experience throughout their career.
In the completed NHL draw, Mikhail began to receive even more playing time.
On average, he spent 22.5 minutes on the ice - this is the second result in the team among field players after Hedman.
At the same time, the Russian became the only one who managed to make a total of more than 260 power moves and blocks (139 + 123) in the regular season.
In addition, the defender scored seven goals and assisted partners 31 times.
He scored more points only in his debut season with the Lightning - 40 (9 + 31).
And in the playoffs, he not only finished second on the team in assists among defensemen (8), behind only Hedman (16), but also became the sixth defenseman from Russia in history to score 30 or more points in the Stanley Cup.
In some meetings, Sergachev did shine and came to the fore.
So, he became one of the main characters of the fifth match of the final series of the Eastern Conference with the Rangers.
First, shortly before the end of the second period, Mikhail made an accurate shot from an average distance and equalized the score.
And less than two minutes before the end of normal time, he made a cool throw on a penny, which was closed by Ondrej Palat.
"Tampa" won - 3: 1, and already in the next game put an end to it.
He also scored a goal in the first match of the decisive confrontation with Colorado.
The Russian was also remembered for a powerful click from the brushes from the blue line and restored the status quo on the scoreboard.
But in the end, Cooper's wards were defeated in overtime - 3:4.
The hockey player has also made progress in terms of basic defensive metrics.
For example, in the regular season that ended, he blocked an average of 1.6 shots per game, while in the previous season he blocked 1.3.
There were significantly more power moves in his performance (1.8 vs. 1.18) and tackles (0.3 vs. 0.2).
Moreover, in the playoffs, he even managed to improve the second indicator (2.3).
However, it was not without gross errors.
Of course, the most striking was the blot made in the overtime of the fourth meeting of the final, when Nazem Kadri easily beat the opponent, went one on one with Vasilevsky and brought the Avalanche an important victory.
The defender himself explained what happened by fatigue and an excessively long shift.
Despite serious progress, Sergachev often still does not act very reliably.
He is not ideally positioned and is thrown at the attackers ahead of time, freeing up zones and allowing opponents to create chances.
In Tampa in recent years, his flaws were not so noticeable due to the presence of a number of experienced partners.
But with their departure, the team may have problems.
It's one thing to play side by side with more experienced hockey players and another to take on the burden of leadership.
There is no guarantee that the Russian will cope with this role and will not fall out of the first link.
In addition, Mikhail remains a "homebody" and does not actively support attacks.
On the one hand, 38 points in the regular season is a good indicator for a defender.
On the other hand, the same Hedman scored an order of magnitude more - 85 (20 + 65).
In this component, the hockey player needs to add more.
Finally, by signing a long-term contract with him, the club actually ties its hands.
"Lightning" is now almost impossible to sign another representative of his role.
In addition, we must not forget: other leaders of the team also have considerable salaries: Vasilevsky ($9.5 million), Kucherov ($9.5 million), Braden Point ($9.5 million), Steven Stamkos ($8.5 million), Anthony Cirelli ($6.25 million).
Perhaps Brisbois is counting on an increase in the salary cap, otherwise it is not easy to explain such a bold step with something else.