With Mikhail Sergachev making an early mark on the Tampa Bay Lightning’s blue line, he doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Since the off-season trade for Sergachev, it was apparent that the Lightning would likely carry eight defensemen on the roster at least for the early part of the season. Now that Sergachev has made it to the ten-game mark that kicks in the first year of his entry-level contract, the rumors have already started about both Slater Koekkoek and Andrej Sustr potentially being traded.
The Vegas Golden Knights’ excess of defensemen has made the market rather saturated for third-pair defensemen, which both players are at this point in their careers.