Sergachev had a goal and was plus-3 in a team-high 22:16 against the Hurricanes in preseason action Wednesday night.

EDGE Analysis

Sergachev is a gifted skater with great size who is NHL ready, but the test for him will be the mental side of the game. Until he plays NHL games, the Bolts won't know if he can handle the pressure as a 19-year-old defender. His target is a roster spot on opening night and so far, so good.

Sergachev believes he is "ready for the NHL," reports TSN.ca, and is confident he will win a spot on the blue line by opening night.

EDGE Analysis

Sergachev knows he needs to earn the spot, but is confident in his abilities. "I have to have a good summer, first of all, I have to be stronger," said the young defender. "I have to be faster to play in the NHL overall to be successful ... I played a lot in juniors and I learned a lot from Windsor ... so I think I'm ready for the NHL." Sergachev will face stiff competition, as the Bolts currently have seven defenders who saw ice time with the squad under contract.

Sergachev and a conditional 2018 second-round draft pick were traded to the Lightning on Thursday, with Jonathan Drouin and a conditional 2018 sixth-round pick heading to the Canadiens.

EDGE Analysis

Nothing like a huge offseason splash just four days after the Stanley Cup was claimed. Selected by the Habs with the ninth overall pick in the 2016 draft, Sergachev is lauded for his hockey smarts and patience within the defensive zone. He made the team out of training camp, but was sent to OHL Windsor at the end of October. Andrej Sustr is a pending restricted free agent and Luke Witkowski has the option to walk as an unrestricted free agent this summer, so the addition of Sergachev could render at least one of those guys expendable.

Sergachev was reassigned to the junior-level Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.

EDGE Analysis

Sergachev had been called up on an emergency basis for Saturday's season finale against the Red Wings. He doled out three hits over 17:13 of ice time.

Sergachev was called up from the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL under emergency conditions Saturday, Amanda Stein of TSN 690 reports.

EDGE Analysis

A highly touted prospect, Sergachev was called up with Alexei Emelin and Shea Weber dealing with lower-body injuries in addition to Jordie Benn's upper-body ailment. The 18-year-old will be a sneaky play in daily formats if your provider ends up adding him to the player pool. He's fashioned 10 goals, 33 assists, and a plus-22 rating in 50 games with Windsor this year.

Sergachev was reassigned to OHL Windsor on Monday.

EDGE Analysis

The decision to send Sergachev back to juniors should not come as a surprise considering he was a healthy scratch for the Canadiens' previous five contests. During his three-game stint in the NHL, the 18-year-old was plus-1 with two shots on goal, seven hits, and two blocked shots. The blueliner returns to the Spitfires where he tallied 17 goals and 40 helpers in 67 games last year and seems poised to exceed those numbers this season.

Sergachev will be active Thursday night when the Canadiens host Coyotes, Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette reports. His presence in the lineup means Greg Pateryn will be healthy scratch.

EDGE Analysis

This will be the third time in four games that the 18-year-old Russian defenseman will be in the active lineup. Montreal head coach Michel Therrien said Sergachev played better Tuesday night against the Penguins than he did opening night, but was given just 8:30 of ice time due to a flood of penalties in the second and third periods. The Habs have nine games to evaluate their first-round draft pick before they have to make a decision as to whether he should remain in the NHL or return to the juniors.

Sergachev will start on the third defensive pairing Tuesday night against Pittsburgh, Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette reports. He'll replace Greg Pateryn while partnering up with Alexei Emelin.

EDGE Analysis

Sergachev was in the lineup opening night in Buffalo, but was a healthy scratch for the Habs' second game of the season. Playing against the defending champion Penguins will be a tougher test for the 18-year-old defenseman, but it's games like these that will determine whether he stays in the NHL or is returned to junior hockey.

Sergachev had two blocked shots in 11:48 of ice time in Montreal's 4-1 season-opening win over Buffalo on Thursday.

EDGE Analysis

Montreal's 2016 first-round draft pick showed some jitters and was outmatched physically at times, then was used sparingly in the third period. At 18, Sergachev is still eligible for juniors and will likely head to the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League as soon as the Canadiens deem Jeff Petry (leg) ready to play.

Sergachev will start Montreal's season opener Thursday in Buffalo, Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette reports.

EDGE Analysis

Sergachev gets the nod after Montreal placed Jeff Petry (leg) on injured reserve, and he'll start on a defensive pairing with fellow Russian Alexei Emelin. The 18-year-old's stay in Montreal may not last long. He's still junior-eligible and can stay with the Canadiens for a maximum of nine games and still be eligible to return to Windsor.