Canadiens take Mikhail Sergachev with 9th pick

The Montreal Canadiens selected defenseman Mikhail Sergachev with the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft on Friday.

Mikhail Sergachev

Position: Defense
Height: 6-2
Weight: 205 pounds
Age: 17
Club: Windsor (OHL)
Nationality: Russian

(Even-strength stats courtesy: prospect-stats.com)

Sergachev entered the draft as the fourth-highest-ranked defenseman in North America, according to NHL Central Scouting, and the eighth-ranked skater overall.

The 17-year-old is coming off his first season in North America. He had a stellar campaign, leading all OHL defensemen with 17 goals and finishing third with 57 points in 67 games. His incredible play saw him awarded the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the league's most outstanding defenseman.

Sergachev is a two-way defender who, according to Elite Prospects, "plays with a poise and confidence that facilitates his creativity with the puck." He's a speedy and fluid skater with an incredibly strong shot, with the lone knock against him being his defensive-zone coverage.