In 2014, Marc Bergevin and the Montreal Canadiens selected Russian forward Nikita Scherbak with the 24th overall pick in the NHL Draft. While his performances in the Western Hockey League with 78 and 82 points per season had raised high hopes for him, like many first-round picks of that time, he greatly disappointed.
He did not find success in Montreal or in the NHL in general, but still found love in the city, meeting his future wife, Laurie Legault, with whom he had a child (and another one on the way soon). Laurie followed him when Scherbak returned to play in the KHL for the latter part of his career. After two years in that league, he played for several teams in different European leagues.
This week, we learned that he will not be returning to his last team and will have to look for work for the upcoming season. That is why Andrew Zadarnowski suggests that Scherbak could bring his family back to Quebec and play for the Trois-Rivières Lions.
The addition of Nikita Scherbak to the Trois-Rivières Lions would be a real marketing coup, given his notoriety among Montreal Canadiens fans. If Scherbak can regain the form he had in junior hockey, he could be a major asset to the team.
He could even, like several players have done this season, earn a contract in the AHL and help the Rocket next season. If the Lions are indeed interested in Scherbak, he should seriously consider seizing this opportunity, as it would give him a chance to rebound in his career. Additionally, his wife, who has been following him in Europe since 2019, could come back home. This is an interesting situation to follow this summer.
