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Boston Bruins 2016 NHL Draft: Mikhail Sergachev

By Brandon Share-Cohen

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney makes the first of three consecutive draft picks in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney makes the first of three consecutive draft picks in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Boston Bruins 2016 NHL Draft: Mikhail Sergachev Could Be A Good Option For The Bruins

The 2016 NHL Entry Draft is approaching quickly and the Boston Bruins currently have two selections in the first round. One of the picks is going to be selected with the 14th overall pick, and one will be made somewhere in the range of pick 20-30. According to Damien Cox of Sportsnet, The Boston Bruins could find themselves drafting defenseman Mikhail Sergachev of the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL with their first selection.

At just 17-years-old, Mikhail Serchachev is already 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds. The Nikhenkamsk, Russia native will turn 18 on June 25th, just one day after the first round concludes and likely one day after he hears his name called by an NHL organization at the draft.

There is never a shortage of need for a player like Sergachev who is an offensive-defenseman with room to improve on the defensive side of the ice.

In his first season in the OHL, Sergachev scored 17 goals and added 40 assists for 57 points in 67 games along with 56 penalty minutes and a plus-15 rating. The Russian defender also contributed in the playoffs with two goals and three asssists for five points in five games to go along with his eight penalty minutes and minus-four rating.

One knock on Mikhail Sergachev is his defensive ability, but Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects had this to say about him.

"“A dominant two-way defenceman whose tenacity and competitiveness characterize his style of play. Plays with a poise and confidence that facilitates his creativity with the puck as well as split-second decision making. Naturally fluid skater who is always looking to be engaged, if not the center, of each unfolding play. All-in-all, a diligent two-way defenceman who excels at finding ways to be a difference-maker in games.” (Curtis Joe, EP 2016)"

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One thing that should be taken away from that analysis of Sergachev is the fact that he “excels at finding ways to be a difference-maker in games.” The Boston Bruins need players who can take over a game, and historically, those players have come from the back-end for the franchise in the form of Bobby Orr, Brad Park, Ray Bourque, and Zdeno Chara among others. At only 17 years old, awareness and accountability on the defensive side of the puck will come for Mikhail Sergachev, but it will take the right coaching staff to develop him.

Next: 2016 NHL Draft Profile: Julien Gauthier

Mikhail Sergachev is ranked eight among North American Skaters in the 2016 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings, which means he should fall within the Bruins’ range at 14th overall this year. It would be hard to pass-up on a big — and likely still growing — defenseman who has the smooth skating ability and natural offensive instincts that Mikhail Sergachev has. Don Sweeney and the rest of the Boston Bruins front office selected two forwards and a defenseman last year in the first round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, and two defenseman and a forward in the second round of the draft. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them split their picks up again this season by drafting one of each position in the first round.

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