Every franchise in every sport has marquee moves that set up or set back the team for the future. The Utah Mammoth and formerly, the Utah Hockey Club, are young and have had many transactions and decisions made that we have not seen come to fruition just yet, but as far as the product on the ice, the acquisition of Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning is the best move in a blossoming franchise.
Many successful general managers have built from the ground up, and Bill Armstrong took a big swing as Utah general manager by providing an anchor to his defensive group for the next 6-8 years in Sergachev.
Utah gave up J.J. Moser and Conor Geekie, along with a 7th-round pick in 2024 and a 2nd-round pick in 2025. A steep price to pay, but the change from the money-saving Arizona Coyotes to the financially stable Utah franchise needed to be shown to the fans and, more importantly, the rest of the NHL.
The 6'3, 212-pound defender provides exactly what is needed in a top defenseman. Sergachev has size, experience, and offensive skill. If you are going to build a blue line, it would be a versatile player who can contribute in any situation. Averaging over 25 minutes of ice-time in his first year with Utah has shown that he is durable and entering his prime.
Despite being so young, Sergachev has played in over 400 NHL games and 82 playoff games, which have resulted in two Stanley Cups. The bonus to this move was that Sergachev had already signed a long-term contract worth $8.5 million per year until 2031.
The former 9th overall draft choice of Montreal in the 2016 NHL Draft proved that he was worth the move with a career high in minutes played and goals with 15. A total of 53 points was good for his second-highest career output.
With a big summer, Utah is set to have a special season in Salt Lake City, and Sergachev will be a huge part of that success this year and beyond. This is all thanks to the biggest trade of the Utah franchise's history.