Lightning trade Mikhail Sergachev to Utah amid flurry of moves
After a quiet first day of the NHL draft, Day 2 kicked off with a stunner as the Tampa Bay Lightning traded defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hockey Club.
Neither team would be done dealing on Saturday.
Utah added New Jersey Devils defenseman John Marino, building out its defensive corps in preparation for its first season in Salt Lake City after relocating from Arizona. Tampa Bay then sent forward Tanner Jeannot to the Los Angeles Kings.
Sergachev, 26, was acquired from the Lightning for restricted free agent defenseman J.J. Moser, high-scoring center prospect Conor Geekie, a second-round pick in 2025 and Tampa Bay's seventh-round pick in 2024.
The defenseman is entering the second year of an eight-year contract extension he signed with the Lightning in June 2022. He had a no-trade clause that was set to kick in July 1.
Sergachev's contract carries an average annual value of $8.5 million against the salary cap, which will give the Lightning flexibility to potentially resign captain Steven Stamkos, who becomes an unrestricted free agent on Monday. The Lightning's last offer to Stamkos was an eight-year contract with an average annual value of just $3 million, which was rejected by the star forward. The trade also opens up other possibilities in free agency such as Hurricanes winger Jake Guentzel.
Sergachev played 34 games (19 points) last season for the Lightning, having his regular season cut short when he broke his tibia and fibula. But he worked his way back to play two games in their first-round loss to the Florida Panthers.
He played seven seasons for the Lightning after being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in 2017 in a trade that saw Jonathan Drouin go to Montreal. The defenseman helped Tampa Bay win back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Bolstering their defense corps was a point of emphasis for Utah GM Bill Armstrong, as the team had a slew of free agents on the back end. Along with Sergachev, Marino, 27, addresses that need.
A defensive defenseman, Marino is entering the fourth year of a six-year contract he signed with Pittsburgh in January 2021, with a cap hit of $4.4 million. He was traded to New Jersey in 2022 and had a strong season in its run to the playoffs but regressed last season.
The Devils acquired the 49th pick in the draft and Edmonton's second-round pick in 2025, while sending pick No. 153 to Utah. The move for New Jersey might set up a long-speculated run at Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce in free agency.
Both Sergachev and Marino had trade protections in their contracts.
Moments after the Marino trade, the Lightning shipped truculent winger Tanner Jeannot to the Los Angeles Kings for a second-round pick in 2025 and pick No. 118 in 2024.
Jeannot had 7 goals and 7 assists in 55 games last season, skating to a minus-10. He was unable to build on the promise of his 2021-22 season in Nashville when he had 24 goals in 81 games with 130 penalty minutes.
The forward had one more season at a $2.665 million AAV left on his contract and had a limited no-trade clause ready to kick in July 1.
Jeannot, 27, was most notable for what the Lightning gave up for him in a 2023 deadline deal: first-, second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks, along with defenseman Cal Foote.
