Former Canadiens defenseman Mikhail Sergachev has more points than any current Montreal player

Things have, mostly, been going OK for the Montreal Canadiens since we passed Thanksgiving on the calendar last month.

Carey Price came back into the fold after an injury and has played better, though he recently got chased after giving up four goals to the Oilers in 22 minutes of play. As of Monday, they’re two points out of a playoff spot in a tough Eastern Conference board.

Yet, Price’s return has covered up the glaring issues that have plagued Montreal through most of the season. Their minus-14 goal differential is sixth-worst in the NHL and their offense has shown incredible bouts of inconsistency as no player has yet to crest the 20-point mark on the season through 31 games.

It’s hard, then, to not look over at Atlantic Division rival — and recent trade partner — the Tampa Bay Lightning. Over the summer, the Lightning and Canadiens swapped budding offensive talent Jonathan Drouin and emerging defensive stud Mikhail Sergachev in a trade that added depth to each side’s needs.

The trade is still very solid for both sides a quarter of the way through the season. The Lightning couldn’t keep Drouin on their payroll with the depth of offensive talent that needed to be paid while the Canadiens needed a spark plug of a player to help generate points.

What you can argue with, however, is Montreal’s price for obtaining Drouin. Sergachev was arguably the biggest prospect in the Canadiens’ pool, alongside goaltender Charlie Lindgren and fellow defenseman Victor Mete. Just this week, the Canadiens announced that Mete would be among Canada’s World Junior selection camp for the upcoming tournament at the end of the month, while Lindgren put together a stellar effort in relief of Price earlier this season.

Even still, Sergachev has delivered offensively for the Lightning this season, as his 20 points in 29 games are more than any Canadiens player has this year. Not only that, Sergachev has been pretty impressive skill-wise in his first real season of NHL action.

Given the state of Montreal’s offense, you’d be hard-pressed to say that Sergachev would be as effective offensively in the Canadiens’ system as he is in Tampa Bay. The Lightning are the NHL’s most-potent offensive team this season, with Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and Vladislav Namestnikov leading the charge as the team continues to climb the standings. Tampa Bay is — excuse the pun — a lightning rod for offensive talent right now, and Sergachev is fitting right in.

The loss of such a talent when the Canadiens have struggled so much this season must be tough to swallow, despite Drouin doing fine for himself. The 22-year-old center has 17 points in 26 games, but has missed the Canadiens’ last few games with the flu and a lower-body injury. It’s very likely Drouin could have passed the 20-point mark had he not fallen ill and injured at the same time, but sometimes fate has other plans.

In any case, the Canadiens will have a chance to finally get someone over the 20-point mark on Thursday when they return from a four-day midseason break. A long season still awaits Montreal with a playoff spot on the line, with or without Sergachev’s impact.