Mikhail Sergachev has been one the biggest risers for the 2016 NHL draft. The Windsor Spitfires defenceman was under the radar to begin the year, receiving just a “B” grade from NHL Central Scouting in their initial September outlook. But now, Sergachev has found himself being ranked in the top half of the first round and, in some mocks, a potential top ten pick. His rise can be attributed to two key coaching adjustments. Both adjustments were discussed in a Sportsnet intermission feature on Sergachev. The first was getting Sergachev to play with his head up in the offensive zone. This helped him see the ice better and make more creative offensive plays.
The second was not so much an “adjustment”, but more a coaching staff staying out of the player’s way.
Rookie Windsor head coach Rocky Thompson took some time at the beginning of the season to learn his team’s personalities and tendencies and formulate his thoughts about his defensive corps. In a September 23rd piece in the Windsor Star, Thompson said of his defensive group, “They’re not offensive defencemen, so defence is going to be a priority and a foundation.”
Thompson said that, before a mid-November game against Mississauga, he pulled Sergachev aside for a conversation about his play. At that point, Thompson has said that he simply stopped “coaching” Sergachev, and told him to just be himself on the ice.
It was a turning point for Sergachev’s season.
Sergachev responded immediately, notching a goal and three assists in that Mississauga game. He started to be much more aggressive offensively, taking more chances, creating offense, joining and leading the rush at times, and the results speak for themselves. Prior to that game, Sergachev had four goals and four assists in 19 games, an average 0.42 points per game. Since then, Sergachev has been simply unstoppable, with 10 goals and 25 assists in 34 games, an elite 1.03 ppg.
I saw Sergachev in October, prior to those adjustments, and it’s night and day from that viewing to the player he is now. He was playing a game rooted in the defensive zone, and wasn’t leading or joining in any rushes. I noted how he played a significant number of minutes, and was a very good skater, but I really didn’t see a lot of offensive plays outside of his big shot. Looking back, he was much more conservative in his approach.
Now, Sergachev is using all of his skills and ability and he’s become a fantastic two-way defencemen. In the two games I tracked of his over the weekend, he had a sparkling 63% Corsi. He’s started to take more offensive chances, leading to plays like this:
Great mobility from #2016NHLDraft eligible Mikhail Sergachev, he weaves around 3 players with ease for his 14th goal https://t.co/GQ5oiXjPPr
— Kat (@msconduct) February 5, 2016
This is a play he wouldn’t have made early in the season. As mentioned, at the beginning of the season. the Spitfires coaching staff didn’t rely on their defencemen for offense, something Thompson discussed in an October 7th interview:
“If you notice, our points aren’t from our (defencemen) leading the rush or going in on breakaways. It’s from our offensive zone play. It’s from making good passes in transition, which is something we focus on, and that’s been the result of them having success.
“We’re not that team that’s running around with our defencemen, we’re very structured, it’s just we’re letting the puck do the work for us. They need to be a part of it, but they aren’t the ones leading it.”
But now, with his coach’s confidence, Sergachev can take those chances. That same style of play also helps him in the defensive zone. All the tools he used to score that goal can be used to escape the zone.
It's little things like this that make 2016 draft eligible Dman Mikhail Sergachev so good. Perfect zone exit. https://t.co/rSLfJmbylz
— Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell) December 7, 2015
It’s a simple play, but requires some skill, and it’s one that he makes more and more frequently as the season has progressed.
That’s a big part of this. Not only has Sergachev improved his own play and his own statistics, he’s also been a driving force behind Windsor’s success this season. In the 19 games prior to the adjustments Windsor averaged 30.7 shots per game, while allowing 32.2. In the 35 games since, they average 32.2 shots for and just 28.1 shots against. That’s a nine and 15 percent improvement respectively. Of course you can’t attribute that all to Sergachev, but having a number one defencemen who can skate the puck in and out of the zone like Sergachev can, certainly helps.
This really shows the role a coach can play in the development of player. Sometimes the best thing is to stay out of their way and let them do what they know how to do. Not every player is going to fit that same mold, of course, and it takes a good coach to be able to identify that and adjust. Kudos to Rocky Thompson for identifying what he had and adjusting his handling of Sergachev.
You can follow me on Twitter @PaulBerthelot
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
