The former Tampa Bay defenceman shared his feelings with reporters Friday after being acquired in the one of the biggest moves of the NHL off-season so far.
When Mikhail Sergachev got the phone call from general manager Bill Armstrong, he was carrying out trash from his apartment.
Now he gets to be teammates with Clayton Keller, whom he's played with for over a decade across several levels of hockey, and the Utah Hockey Club.
The 26-year-old two-way defenceman, acquired via a monster trade with Tampa Bay at the Upper Deck NHL Draft last Saturday, was formally introduced prior to the open scrimmage closing Utah HC's prospect development camp Friday at Delta Center.
"Keller reminds me of (Nikita Kucherov), honestly," Sergachev said. "He skates the same way and plays the same way; it definitely wasn't fun chasing him around."
He doesn't have to worry about defending Keller this time around, but he'll also get a boost with his former teammate Ian Cole, signed from Vancouver, joining him this year.
Sergachev called Cole "a warrior who will put his body on the line"; adding "everyone can learn from him."
The two blue-liners, who are both two-time (and consecutive) Stanley Cup winners, played one season together in 2022-23 in Tampa Bay, will have a chance to be the bus drivers for the youngest group of forwards in the league.
And while Sergachev admits he may not be a vocal leader, he can lead by his aggressive playing style on both ends of the ice.
"Your defence starts on offence," he stated. "Obviously, you want to hit, but you have to save your legs. The game is changing so quickly because guys are physical and skilled; you have to use your brain more than your muscles."