Lightning re-sign Sergachev to 3-year contract with $4.8M AAV

The Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed restricted free-agent defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to a three-year deal carrying an average annual value of $4.8 million, the team announced Wednesday.

Tampa Bay is now a projected $1.9 million over the salary cap and still needs to sign center Anthony Cirelli and defenseman Erik Cernak, who are both RFAs, according to PuckPedia.

Sergachev recorded 10 goals and 24 assists in 70 games last season and added 10 points in 25 playoff contests en route to the Lightning's Stanley Cup triumph.

The 22-year-old hasn't been tasked with playing tough minutes, as those responsibilities generally fall on Victor Hedman's or Ryan McDonagh's pairing. However, the Russian has vastly outperformed his matchups, ranking in the 81st percentile in offensive play driving and 92nd percentile in defensive play driving, according to The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn's model.

Additionally, Sergachev has posted an expected goals share above 53% in all three of his NHL seasons, according to Natural Stat Trick. His 58.6% expected goals share was second-best among Lightning blue-liners during the postseason.

The Montreal Canadiens drafted Sergachev ninth overall in 2016, but traded him to Tampa Bay along with a second-round pick the following offseason in exchange for forward Jonathan Drouin and a sixth-round pick.