Nikita Scherbak’s road to the NHL has been tumultuous, to say the least. After spending two years in the AHL, including a brief three-game recall last season, Scherbak entered the 2017-18 season with hopes of finally earning a roster spot in the NHL. A terrible training camp ensued.

Here’s the timeline of what happened next.

Scherbak was returned to the Laval Rocket on Sept. 24.

After six games with the Rocket — which resulted in nine points for the young winger — he was recalled to the Canadiens on Oct. 22.

He played just two games before an awkward hit along the boards forced him to leave the game against the L.A. Kings on Oct. 24.

On Oct. 30, the Canadiens announced Scherbak would require surgery on his knee, forcing him to miss six weeks of action.

On Dec. 10, Scherbak was reassigned to the Rocket, scoring six goals and 15 assists in 18 games while he’s there.

He’s then recalled to the Canadiens, yet again, on Feb. 2.

By Feb. 19, he’s back in Laval.

On Feb. 28, he’s called up from the Rocket for the third time.

And finally, on April 4, he was shut down with a concussion.

Still following? It gets even crazier.

It wasn’t just Scherbak’s lack of a consistent itinerary or medical issues that complicated his season. While playing with the Canadiens, he split his time on 10 different line combinations, which is a remarkably high number when you consider he played just over 300 even strength minutes.

During that time his most consistent stretch of linemates was a paltry five games with Alex Galchenyuk and Jonathan Drouin.

All that to say that Scherbak faced a lot of adversity this season, and despite this, he still produced some interesting numbers and highlight reel goals.

The Numbers

After a slow start to his professional career, Scherbak brought his game to a new level this season. Not only did he almost double his points per game output, he also significantly increased his primary points per game.

Contrary to what we saw from Michael McCarron, that is the exact upwards trend you want to see from your top prospects. And although Scherbak is a lot more adept at setting up plays, he also managed to increase his goals per game thanks to an uptick in his shot rate.

While it’s true that his defensive play remains a weak point in his overall game, his ability to drive the puck up the ice and create scoring chances in the offensive zone more than trumps his defensive shortcomings. Most notably, it was an extra dose of creativity during transition plays that led to such a good season for Scherbak.

Other than Juulsen at 57 percent, no other player on the Rocket created such a positive impact on the shot share than Scherbak’s 55.3 percent. He was also one of the best Rocket players in terms of controlling high danger shots, with 57.8 percent.

It should be noted that of his 30 points in 26 AHL games this season, only 14 came during even strength play. That’s not unusual for high-end prospects by any means, but it does explain some of his numbers in the NHL.

Claude Julien gave Scherbak a legitimate chance to show his worth with the Canadiens by giving him power play time, and the results speak for themselves. Simply put, Scherbak has shown that he excels once there’s extra space on the ice.

But it does raise some questions about his even strength play.

He finished the season with some numbers that, on the surface, aren’t very impressive. While Scherbak was on the ice the Canadiens controlled just 47.9 percent of the shots and 45.3 percent of the high danger chances.

However, there’s a clear difference in results once we filter his numbers by the two lines he played on most.

With Charles Hudon and Logan Shaw, Scherbak’s numbers were, frankly, pitiful, controlling just 37.4 percent of the shots. What’s worse, their shot control was actually much better than their expected goals for, which was just 20 percent.

When Scherbak was placed on a line with Galchenyuk and Drouin, his numbers skyrocketed to first line levels. But it wasn’t just shot share and the expected goals that increased. The scoring chances followed suit.

If there’s one thing we can take from the drastic contrast in results, it’s that skilled players generally do a lot better when playing on a line with other skilled players, and Scherbak is no exception.

He got crushed during most shifts on the fourth line, but the second he got a promotion his play improved, which is no coincidence. You should always play your best young players with the teammates you want them to emulate.

There’s little to no advantage in letting them toil on the fourth line, seeing as they probably haven’t played so low in the lineup their entire hockey life, and ultimately, that’s not the role for which they’re best suited.

What’s Next

Scherbak will only cost $863,333 on the salary cap next season due to his entry-level deal sliding, which makes him a very interesting and cost-effective option in the lineup. He won’t provide much of an offensive boost if he’s used on the fourth line, but as we saw this season — albeit in a limited sample size — Scherbak can not only keep up with players like Drouin and Galchenyuk, but also make a positive impact.

His defensive play should improve, and he’s just starting to scratch the surface of his offensive potential. He may never be a bonafide first line player, but his skill set makes him a very interesting option for the top-9.

If he continues to improve, receives some better luck in the injury department, and more consistency in his usage, playing in the top-6 at some point in the next couple of years isn’t out of the question either.

(Statistics are even strength, unless otherwise noted, courtesy of Mitch Brown, Corsica Hockey, Prospect Stats & naturalstatrick.com)

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(Top photo credit: Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images)