BROSSARD, Que. — The Montreal Canadiens confirmed on Monday that defenceman Mikhail Sergachev and forward Artturi Lehkonen will start the regular season in the NHL.
Sergachev becomes the first 18-year-old defenceman to start a season with the Canadiens since Mathieu Schneider did so in 1987-88. Should he stick for the entire season, he’d be the first 18-year-old to stay with Montreal since Petr Svoboda played 73 games in 1984-85.
“(Lehkonen and Sergachev) have to continue to perform,” Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said in French. “Making it to the NHL is one step, staying is another thing.
“In Sergachev’s case, his maturity stands out. It’s one thing to be talented, and there are a lot of 18-year-olds who are talented, but we really like his maturity. He’s physically strong, and his comprehension of the game is strong.”
Montreal chose Sergachev ninth overall in the 2016 NHL Draft after a successful rookie season with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires where he had 17 goals and 40 assists in 67 games. His performance saw him become the second youngest player in OHL history to be named the league’s most outstanding defenceman.
“I’m not an NHL player yet, but I’ll try to be one,” Sergachev said. “I just have to play my game, play simple and tough. That’s what they like about my game.”
Therrien currently has Sergachev practising to the right of Alexei Emelin and the duo will form Montreal’s third pairing on the blue line.
The 21-year-old Lehkonen signed a three-year deal with the Canadiens in May after being selected by the team in the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft. His contract stipulates that he must be returned to Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League if he doesn’t play in Montreal.
Lehkonen said it was a relief to be staying with the Canadiens.
“This is only the first step and there’s a lot more steps to go,” Lehkonen said. “Now the actual job begins. I got the job now, but now you have to work to stay in there and really produce for the team.”
Lehkonen had a breakout campaign in Sweden, scoring 16 goals and 17 assists in 49 regular-season games before breaking Daniel Alfredsson’s club record by scoring 11 goals in 16 playoff games. He scored twice in pre-season action with Montreal.
The five-foot-11 Finn is expected to start the season on a line with Tomas Plekanec and Alexander Radulov.
DEMOTIONS FOR MIKE CONDON, MICHAEL McCARRON
Goaltender Mike Condon, who appeared in 55 games with the Canadiens as a rookie last season, was placed on waivers Monday.
Condon started his NHL career with six consecutive wins and went on to finish last year with a 21-25-6 record. He had a .903 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average.
The 26-year-old was in a battle with Al Montoya, who signed a one-year, $950,000 contract with Montreal this off-season, for a chance to back up Carey Price this year.
Therrien said the decision to cut Condon was a difficult one.
“We started the camp with an open mind, and at the end of the day the result was that we all felt Al had a better camp than Michael,” Therrien said. “We have to take decisions that are based on results.”
The Canadiens also announced that forward Michael McCarron was sent down to the American Hockey League’s St. John’s IceCaps.
McCarron had one goal and one assist in 20 games with the Canadiens last season. He scored 17 goals and 21 assists in 58 games with the IceCaps.
“Every year he’s getting better, and at the moment that we speak he’s really close to being in the NHL,” Therrien said. “He did what he had to do, but sometimes there’s the business side too, you know, the numbers.”
McCarron was one of two forwards at camp who didn’t require clearing waivers to be sent back to the AHL.
There are 24 players remaining with the Canadiens. They are, however, compliant with the NHL’s 23-man roster limit because defenceman Jeff Petry, who suffered a lower-body injury in the team’s final pre-season game last Thursday, has been placed on the injured reserve list.
Petry has been ruled out of the team’s season-opening game Thursday in Buffalo.
