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SALT LAKE CITY — Bill Armstrong has been used to selling. The Utah Hockey Club general manager tore down the Arizona Coyotes roster, shipping out veterans and taking on bloated contracts in exchange for picks and assets
It was a masterful teardown. Now, he's starting to build it back up.
Gone are the selling days. Armstrong is now a buyer.
Utah swung two trades on Saturday to build up their blueline — including bringing in a budding defensive star.
Utah got Tampa Bay defenseman Mikhail Sergachev in the first major move from the new NHL franchise. Utah sent J.J. Moser, Conor Geekie, pick No. 199 in the 2024 draft, and a 2025 second-round pick to Tampa Bay to acquire Sergachev, who has the potential to be a true No. 1 on the blue line.
But Armstrong wasn't done yet.
He traded the No. 49 pick and a 2025 second-round pick for New Jersey defenseman John Marino and a fifth-round pick. Utah only had one blue liner under contract heading into the draft; they've suddenly added two young veterans who will contribute immediately.
Armstrong has preached patience with the rebuild even as his team appears on the verge of playoff contention. Actions speak louder than words. On Saturday, it sure seemed like Utah had every desire to compete for the postseason in Year 1.
"I woke up this morning after I slept for two minutes and said, 'Let's shock the world!'" Armstrong said on the NHL Network.
Sergachev, 26, has been a mainstay in the NHL since he was 19 and is widely seen as a top-20 defenseman. He was limited to 34 games last season after breaking his left leg. And a checkered injury history might be the only knock on the talented Russian skater.
In 2022-23, his last full season, he finished with 54 assists for the Lightning. Sergachev is under contract through the 2030-31 season after signing a massive eight-year extension in 2022. The Lightning retained none of Sergachev's contract, which carries an $8.5 million cap hit for the next seven years. The contract is long, but not unreasonable for a player of his age and pedigree.
"Mikhail Sergachev is a proven winner and point producer and has been one of the best shut-down defenseman in the NHL for a sustained period of time," Armstrong said. "Mikhail is a top two-way NHL defenseman, and you cannot win in this league without a star, elite defenseman. We are thrilled to welcome Mikhail to our organization and look forward to many years ahead with him leading our blue line."
Armstrong said he started to "plant some seeds" with Tampa Bay about such a deal a few months ago. With the Lightning needing to clear cap space, the timing became right for both teams.
To get Sergachev, Utah had to give up a young defenseman (Moser) who missed just two games over the last years, and a promising center prospect (Geekie) they took with the No. 11 pick in the 2022 NHL draft.
"It cost us some assets, but I think it was worth it," director of amateur scouting Darryl Plandowski said.
Utah took five centers in the draft, including two in the first round — moves that likely made it so Armstrong was comfortable pulling the trigger on the big trade. Now, they have a budding defensive superstar on the roster who played a big role in winning two Stanley Cups in Tampa Bay.
Marino, meanwhile, has played five seasons in the NHL and has averaged over 20 minutes of ice time in each one. Last season, he had four goals and 21 assists. He has three years left on his current deal.
"We're really psyched to get both guys. They're going to stabilize the backside," Armstrong said. "We can score, but somebody's got to defend, so we've got two good guys today."
