Mikhail Sergachev has signed a new eight-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning
Russia’s Sergachev will be staying in Florida. © RIA / Grigory Sysoyev
Russia’s Mikhail Sergachev is set to stay at the Tampa Bay Lightning for the foreseeable future after penning a new eight-year contract extension worth a reported $68 million in total.
The Lightning confirmed the news on Wednesday, which means the 24-year-old will see out the remaining year on his current three-year deal before the new contract kicks in to take him through the 2030-31 season.
Sergachev joined the Bolts from the Montreal Canadiens in 2017 and helped the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021.
Tampa fell short of an historic ‘threepeat’ this season as they suffered a 4-2 series defeat in the finals against the Colorado Avalanche.
Russian star celebrates in style after Stanley Cup glory (VIDEO)
Sergachev is part of a trio of key Russian stars for the Lightning which includes winger Nikita Kucherov and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The Nizhnekamsk-born Sergachev has played 358 regular season career games with the Lightning, scoring 36 goals and registering 174 points overall.
Sergy szn ‼️ pic.twitter.com/c713PlO6Js
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) July 13, 2022
He ranks fifth all-time in Tampa Bay franchise history among defensemen for goals and scoring, and fourth for assists with 138.
In postseason terms, Sergachev has played 92 games and posted eight goals and 30 points.
That’s good enough to rank him second in Lightning history among defensemen for playoff games, goals, assists (22) and scoring, according to the organization’s website.
Sergachev was part of a trio of Tampa stars to pen eight-year extensions, alongside fellow defenseman Erik Cernak and forward Anthony Cirelli.
However, the Lightning are unlikely to retain the services of longtime servant Ondrej Palat, with the 31-year-old Czech now on the open market.
On Sergachev’s extension: “I thought he was buying dinner after the contract, but I guess *I* am buying dinner.”Julien BriseBois checks in with the media on the first day of free agency.
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) July 13, 2022
It was previously announced that Tampa had added another Russian to their ranks in the form of forward Vladislav Namestnikov, who has returned on a one-year contract worth $2.5 million.
Namestnikov, 29, was initially drafted by the Bolts in 2011 but later left for spells at the New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, the Colorado Avalanche, and more recently the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars.
🗣 VLADDY'S BACK We've signed Vladislav Namestnikov to a one-year contract worth an AAV of $2.5 million.📝: https://t.co/wGxndbXEjkpic.twitter.com/pMerAKZCId
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) July 13, 2022
