Sergachev traded to Utah Hockey Club by Lightning

Mikhail Sergachev was traded to the Utah Hockey Club by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

The Lightning received defenseman J.J. Moser and forward Conor Geekie, a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Sergachev had 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) in 34 regular-season games for the Lightning, missing significant time because of a knee injury. He returned in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and had one assist in two games.

The 26-year-old defenseman, who was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round (No. 9) of the 2016 NHL Draft, has 257 points (48 goals, 209 assists) in 475 regular-season games for the Lightning and Canadiens and 34 points (nine goals, 25 assists) in 100 playoff games.

"He is [a No. 1 defenseman] and that's the reason for the deal is we wanted to cement that top end [defenseman] that can play a ton of minutes,” Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said. “Good thick body on him, plays hard, blocks shots, can play in the offense and defense and he's won. He's got a lot to bring into our culture. The other thing too is we've got some Russian players in [Daniil] But and [Dmitry] Simashev that are coming to our organization that are high-end players, and he's going to have a great impact on them also as a leader."

Sergachev, who won the Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021, has seven years remaining on an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million average annual value) he signed with the Lightning on July 13, 2022.

"Bringing in one of the premier defenseman in the NHL -- and a two-time Stanley Cup champion --demonstrates our commitment to our fans and to our team that we will take the necessary steps to drive this organization towards its potential," Utah president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said.

Moser, 24, who had 26 points (five goals, 21 assists) in 80 games for the Arizona Coyotes this season, can become a restricted free agent on Monday. Selected by Arizona in the second round (No. 60) of the 2021 NHL Draft, Moser has 72 points (16 goals, 56 assists) in 205 regular-season games.

Geekie, 20, has yet to play in the NHL. He had 99 points (43 goals, 56 assists) in 55 games for Swift Current and Wenatchee of the Western Hockey League this season.

Utah also acquired defenseman John Marino from the New Jersey Devils, along with the No. 153 pick in the 2024 draft, for the No. 49 pick this year and a second-round selection in 2025.

Marino, 27, had 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) in 75 games this season. He has 107 points (18 goals, 89 assists) in 328 regular-season games with the Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins and six assists in 29 playoff games.

"It's exciting for sure,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. “We had to improve our [defense] corps and I think that's a step in the right direction, no doubt about it. I think it's two really good players."

Bill Armstrong said he spoke to Sergachev after the trade was finalized.

“He was so excited about coming here," Armstrong said. "I think he was shocked originally, but once that kicked in he wants to come here. I said to him, 'We've got a talented front end, we've got close to eight 20-goal scorers from last year, and now we're adding two great pieces on the backside. It's going to make us a better team.'"

NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen contributed to this report