Bolts by the Bay
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Breaking Down the 5 Bolts Who Need to Step Up Most in the 2022-23 Season

By Garrett Morgan

TORONTO, ON - MAY 10 : Mikhail Sergachev #98 of the Tampa Bay Lightning fires a puck up ice against the Toronto Maple Leafs during Game Five of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 10, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Lightning 4-3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty images)
TORONTO, ON - MAY 10 : Mikhail Sergachev #98 of the Tampa Bay Lightning fires a puck up ice against the Toronto Maple Leafs during Game Five of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 10, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Lightning 4-3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty images) /
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(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

1. Mikhail Sergachev

With the departures of both Ryan McDonagh via a trade to Nashville and Jan Rutta via free agency to Pittsburgh, someone needs to step up defensively in their place. With McDonagh being the second left-handed defender behind Victor Hedman, it is now up to 24-year-old Mikhail Sergachev to fill in his role.

Sergachev, who has been with the Lightning since 2017 after being traded from Montreal, has been a mainstay in the Bolts lineup since being traded. While being seen as one of the better defenders around the league, he has struggled at times with inconsistent play, especially regarding turnovers and giving up cheap penalties.

Now an experienced player who has been with the team for a few years, Sergachev needs to be a guy that the Lightning can depend on night in and night out and limit those inconsistencies. We have seen his flashes of excellence, such as in game five of the Eastern Conference Final where he had two points including a huge goal on the road for the Bolts to go up three games to two in the series.

With these flashes, however, come too many inconsistencies and mental lapses of Sergachev’s part. With all the potential and talent to become an elite NHL defenseman, Sergachev must heavily decrease these inconsistent plays and become the guy everyone thinks he can be in order to help the Bolts get back to the Final.

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