Mikhail Sergachev has wasted no time making his presence felt for Utah.
Through seven games of 2026-27, the Mammoth defenseman has already piled up nine points, giving him two goals and seven assists and putting him right at the center of the team’s early offense. Only two defensemen in the league have more points than Sergachev at the moment: Evan Bouchard, who has 14, and Quinn Hughes, who has 10.
That puts Sergachev in rare company, even in a league loaded with elite puck-moving defenders. The Edmonton offense has been the NHL’s best so far, which is hardly a shock with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl driving it. But Sergachev’s start has been one of the league’s quieter, and maybe more overlooked, early offensive runs from the blue line.
He has already shown he can produce at a high level before. In 2022-23 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he turned in a career season with 10 goals and 54 assists.
After an injury-riddled final year in Tampa, he was traded to Utah and responded with 15 goals and 38 assists in 2024-25. Last season, he stayed productive, finishing with 10 goals and 49 assists in 78 games.
This year, though, the 27-year-old looks like he’s taking another step. His offense has come in different forms too, with production on the power play and at 5-on-5. It’s still early, but Sergachev has clearly been more than a support piece in Utah’s attack.
That matters for a team that already has multiple point producers up front. Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Sergachev are tied for the team lead with nine points apiece. If Sergachev keeps scoring and creating the way he has over these first seven games, Utah’s offense gets another dangerous layer - and one that comes from the back end.
Defensemen who can tilt the ice offensively are becoming more and more common, with players like Hughes and Lane Hutson making an impact whenever they touch the puck. Right now, Sergachev has been Utah’s version of that problem. And if this start is a sign of what’s coming, the Mammoth may have one of the NHL’s best offensive defensemen on their hands.