Pictured: Mikhail Sergachev (#98) playing defense for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Photo via Tampa Bay Times.
By Taylor Landau
The Tampa Bay Lightning may find themselves needing to switch gears at the trade deadline now that one of their top defensemen, Mikhail Sergachev, may be done for the season.
During Wednesday night’s game against the New York Rangers, Sergachev suffered a lower-body injury after an on-ice collision. Rangers forward Alexis Lafrenière attempted a reverse hit on Sergachev, who in turn went down along the boards with his leg turning at an awkward angle. It was Sergachev’s first game back since December 17th.
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While no official statement has been made about Sergachev’s timeline to return to play, the Lightning announced on Thursday that he had surgery to repair his tibia and fibula, so it’s not looking good. With the possibility of losing one of their top defensemen for the year, the Lightning may have a top objective for the upcoming trade deadline.
If Sergachev is done for the year, they'll have over eight million freed in cap space. In that case, they’ll have an opportunity to add a huge asset for a potential postseason run. The Lightning’s defense has been needing an upgrade for a while now, and now they may finally have a chance to fix it. Here are some options:
Pictured: Chris Tanev (#8) playing defense for the Calgary Flames. Photo via NHLPA.com
Chris Tanev
Chris Tanev is arguably one of the biggest names on the trade block right now. The pending Calgary Flames UFA has a cap hit of $4.5 million with 9 points in 47 games. He’d be a solid addition to the defensive squad that would really help with their final playoff push. With the team’s newly freed cap space, they’d be able to take him on as a rental, but anything long-term would require lots of shuffling of their current assets to make way for a bigger contract. The Flames are supposedly looking for a first-round pick in return, which could pose a potential problem for the Lightning if they're looking for something recent. The Lightning's soonest first-round pick isn't until 2026 since they traded their 2024 and 2025 picks in the Brandon Hagel and Tanner Jeannot trades.
Pictured: Noah Hanifin (#55) playing defense for the Calgary Flames. Photo via NHLPA.com
Noah Hanifin
If the Lightning are looking for another playoff rental, they could look to Noah Hanifin, also from the Calgary Flames. Just like his teammate Tanev, he’s a pending UFA this offseason. He has 26 points and is a +11 on the season, so he would be able to contribute well on both ends of the ice. His $5 million cap hit would be doable if Sergachev is out for the season, but anything long-term would likely be off the table unless a lot of the Lightning's contracts were shuffled in the offseason.
Pictured: Sean Walker (#26) playing defense for the Philadelphia Flyers. Photo via The Athletic.
Sean Walker
Now that the Philadelphia Flyers have acquired Jamie Drysdale, it looks like they’re planning to get rid of one of their defensemen. Sean Walker has five goals, 13 assists, and a +8 on the season, so not only would he provide much-needed defensive help, but he could also help the team thrive offensively. He’s also a pending UFA, but his cap hit is $2.65 million, almost half of Tanev’s. Since he’s younger than Tanev with a much smaller contract, he may be a better potential long-term fit for the team if they can make it work with next season's cap. The rumor is that the Flyers are also asking for a first-round pick for Walker, so the Lightning could potentially find themselves in the same bind as if they were asking for Tanev.
Pictured: Nick Seeler (#24) playing defense for the Philadelphia Flyers. Photo via The Liberty Line.
Nick Seeler
Nick Seeler from the Flyers is having a great year as well, with seven assists and a +19 rating in 50 games. While his offense is lacking, his defensive skills more than make up for it. He’s been getting second-pair minutes with the Flyers, which means he would slot into Sergachev’s position easily. Not to mention his cap hit sits at $775,000, so he’d be a really affordable option for the (generally) cap-strained Lightning, both for this season and a potential future contract. Not only that, but the Lightning would have the cap space to add even more players at the deadline since his contract is so cheap.
Pictured: Jakob Chychrun (#6) playing for the Ottawa Senators. Photo via TSN.
Jakob Chychrun
Another potential addition at the deadline could be Ottawa Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun. With 28 points in 47 games, he would be useful in helping boost the offensive game of the team. Generally speaking, he's more of an offensive defenseman, but his defensive game shouldn't be underestimated either. He has 81 blocked shots on the year already, and he has a really strong hockey IQ. He's not a UFA until 2025, so the Lightning would have to find a way to manage his roughly $4.5 million salary for next season.
Final Thoughts
Overall, without Sergachev, the team is going to need someone who can step up and fill that big gap in the second pair. Lots of the call-ups from the Syracuse Crunch have been holding their weight, but to be a playoff contender, the Lightning are going to need a strong NHL player with the experience and skills to go deep into the postseason.
The 2024 trade deadline is March 8th, so if the Lightning are looking to make a postseason run without Sergachev, they’re going to have to make some big moves before time runs out.
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