Lightning Won Sergachev Trade With Canadiens
Let's take a look at the lopsided Mikhail Sergachev for Jonathan Drouin trade.
Tonight, former Tampa Bay Lightning and current Colorado Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin will be returning to the Bell Centre for the first time since leaving the Montreal Canadiens this offseason.
Drouin is entering this contest on fire, posting 16 points over his last 15 games. He's playing like the player that the Canadiens thought they were getting back in 2017 when they acquired him for Mikhail Sergachev.
What a win that trade has turned out for the Bolts.
Since joining the Lightning, Sergachev has emerged as a star defenseman for the club. The 2022-23 season was particularly spectacular for him, as he had 10 goals, 64 points, and a plus-13 rating. This season before getting injured, he was off to a solid start, too, posting two goals and 19 points in his first 33 games.
In 470 games with Tampa Bay, Sergachev has 48 goals, 209 assists, and 257 points. In the end, the Lightning got a legitimate top-pairing defenseman who played a big role in their two Stanley Cup championships in 2021 and 2022.
Drouin, on the other hand, struggled to blossom into a legitimate top-six forward following his trade to the Canadiens. He had a 53-point season in 2018-19 but then never played more than 58 games in a season with the club following that campaign.
In 321 games as a Hab, Drouin had 48 goals and 186 points. Those are not bad numbers, but his tenure there did not compare to Sergachev's current run with Tampa Bay.
While Drouin struggled with consistency in Montreal, perhaps this former Lightning forward will finally take that next with the Avalanche. So far, the fit there looks excellent for him.
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