At practice on Monday, a familiar face joined the team. Bedecked in a red no-contact jersey Mikhail Sergachev skated with his teammates just 60 days after fracturing his fibula and tibia.
Following his session on the ice Sergachev was quick to caution folks about when he would be back, telling reporters,
“I’m still not back, so I can’t really tell how long it’s going to take me to get back, but so far it’s been good.”
The purpose of joining the team on the ice was to give him a sense of where he was in regards to the speed of the game, both on the ice and mentally. After a couple of weeks of skating after practice with trainers and other rehabbing players, this gives Sergachev a checkpoint in how he’s doing in terms of actual hockey play.
By no means is he ready for game action and probably won’t be for quite some time. It took Steven Stamkos roughly four months to overcome his shattered leg and that was with some of the most intensive rehab a player has put himself through. Throughout the ordeal the team has been pretty consistent in stating that Sergachev wouldn’t be back with the team unless they made it pretty deep in the playoffs.
Still, it’s a good sign, and provides a nice boost to the team morale to see one of their top defensemen back with them. It’s also a boost for Sergachev, rehabbing can be a lonely endeavor for a player, especially when the team goes on the road and leaves him behind. Getting on the ice with his teammates can help him soldier through the final stages. As Stamkos said,
“You can kind of see the light at the end of that tunnel. It’s not easy, so it was big to see him out there.”
Other Hockey News
The unheralded importance of Tyler Motte [Raw Charge]
The bottom-six forwards don’t get much of the glory, but they can be just as important to the success of the team. As much as the offense has helped them win, the Lightning’s defensive play has drastically improved, and Tyler Motte is a big part of that.
Kucherov leads three stars of the week [Sportsnet]
A 10-point week was enough to garner top honors for Nikita Kucherov as he was named the first star of the week. Sidney Crosby and Artemi Panarin were the other two stars.
Landon DuPont granted exceptional status [CHL]
For the first time in the history of Western Hockey League, a 14-year-old defenseman has been granted exceptional status to play in the league. Landon DuPoint, from Calgary, will be eligible to play in the league as a 15-year-old starting in the 2024-25 season. Two other defensemen have been granted exceptional status, but both played in the OHL. Aaron Ekblad joined the Barrie Colts while Sean Day played for the Mississauga Steelheads in 2013.
Friedman speculates on Duclair’s future in Tampa [32 Thoughts Podcast]
This is really nothing but an off-the-cuff speculation, but Elliotte Friedman stated that he’s “really curious” to see if Tampa Bay tries to sign Anthony Duclair long-term, stating that he’s been a “really good fit”. Co-host Jeff Marek quickly pointed out that Duclair is a pretty good fit for pretty much every team.
Jon Cooper speaks to reporters [Tampa Bay Lightning]
Coop talks Sergy, injury recovery, maintaining rhythm after clinching, and Stamkos’ recent goal surge.
Team Photo Day!
Man who does not own a NHL team, asks for team names for a NHL team [Daily Hive]
Ryan Smith, who does own the Utah Jazz, wants a NHL team in Salt Lake City. As of right now there are no plans for the league to expand or relocate a team to the Beehive State, but that didn’t stop Smith from soliciting team names. Blizzard would probably win out, but we suggested a slightly different name, honoring a local deity.
Changes coming to playoff formats? [The Athletic]
Personally, I don’t really care about the format. A good match-up is a good match-up if it’s round one or the conference finals. Of late, though, there has been a call to do away with the playoff brackets and return to a 1 vs. 8 playoff seeding. We’ll see if that’s something that happens soon or if it’s addressed in the next CBA that begins with the 2026-27 season.
