Just over one week has elapsed in the NHL season. Almost all teams have played four of their 82 games, including the Utah Hockey Club, which has played five games and started the year with a promising 3-1-1 record, setting a hopeful tone for the rest of the season.
With the NHL season still in its infancy, a wealth of hockey is yet to be played. The Utah Hockey Club, having only completed five of their 82 games, has seen several players step up and make their mark in the first week.
These standout performances start with Dylan Guenther being voted the NHL's Player of the Week. The list of standout players also includes Barrett Hayton, Clayton Keller, and Nick Schmaltz, who all rank among the top 25 in total points this season.
However, the only player flying under the radar for the Utah Hockey Club is Mikhail Sergachev, who has been the only bright spot on Utah's blueline. If he can continue this level of play, he may find himself in the conversation for the James Norris Trophy at the end of the year, an award given to the NHL's best all-around defensemen.
Where does Utah Hockey Club Mikhail Sergachev rank among NHL Norris Trophy Power Rankings?
Through Utah's first five games, Sergachev has recorded four points, all of which were assists. He is tied for eighth with numerous other players in points by a defenseman. Sergachev has also logged the third most minutes per game among defensemen, averaging 26:47 minutes per game.
In addition to a tremendous individual start to the season, Sergachev has been dominating his minutes at five-on-five. Let me preface this statement with a statement from some Utah team states to illustrate further how good Sergachev has been on an otherwise poor defensive team.
The Utah Hockey Club has a 51.28% goal share, 46.78% expected goal share, and a 48.78% high-danger chance share. While Sergachev has been on the ice, Utah has a 58.32% goal share, 52.23% expected goal share, and a 58.08% high-danger chance share. With him on the ice, Utah is finding ways to produce goals and chances in high-danger areas while limiting them; Utah gets dominated without Sergachev on the ice (via NaturalStatTrick).
Despite his dominance for the Utah Hockey Club, some other favorites for this award have also got off to hot starts. Cale Makar is averaging two points per game through the Colorado Avalanche's first four games, with one goal and seven assists. The other most notable off to a hot start is Adam Fox, who has six points in four games for the New York Rangers.
These two would be the favorites to win this award, and there are a handful of other guys, including Sergachev, that you could put in the conversation after the first week of the season. However, it is still too early to rank the handful in the conversation, but if Sergachev can continue this level of play for the Utah Hockey Club for 75+ games, he will end up in the top five in Norris Trophy voting.