Nikita Scherbak

Nikita Sergeevich Scherbak (; born December 30, 1995) is a Russian professional ice hockey player who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played under contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Scherbak was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round (26th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
==Playing career==
===Junior===
Scherbak began his junior career in 2012 playing with Kapitan Stupino in the Russian Junior Hockey League. Scherbak was drafted by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2nd round of the 2013 CHL Import Draft.
He joined the Blades in 2013 where he led all rookies in goals (28), assists (50), and points (78) during the 2013–14 WHL season. His outstanding play was rewarded when he was invited to play the 2014 CHL Top Prospects Game.
Scherbak was rated as a top prospect who was viewed as a possible first round selection heading into the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. After his selection on July 22, 2014, he was signed to a three-year entry-level contract with the Canadiens.
On September 22, Scherbak was traded to the Everett Silvertips from the Saskatoon Blades based on league rules which state that no more than two non-North American players may be on the same club's roster at any given time.
===Professional===
During the 2016–17 season, Scherbak made his NHL debut for Montreal Canadiens on January 7, 2017 against Toronto Maple Leafs and scored on the power play, on his first NHL career shot, to put the Canadiens up 3–2, with just 0.9 seconds left of the first period. Montreal won the game 5–3.
After starting the first 11 games of the 2018–19 season as a healthy scratch, Scherbak was assigned to the Laval Rocket, Montreal's AHL affiliate, for conditioning. He made his season debut on October 31, 2018 in a 2–1 loss against the Belleville Senators. On November 9, 2018, Scherbak scored his first goal of the 2018–19 season in a 5–1 victory over the Cleveland Monsters. He was recalled from the conditioning stint on November 14, 2018, but did not immediately rejoin the Canadiens because of a lower-body injury. On December 1, 2018, Scherbak was placed on NHL waivers by the Canadiens. He was subsequently claimed by the Los Angeles Kings.
On June 25, 2019, having completed his contract with the Kings, Scherbak was not tendered a qualifying offer by the club, releasing him as a free agent. The following day, while opting to return to Russia to continue his career, Scherbak was officially signed to a three-year contract with Avangard Omsk of the KHL. In his first KHL season in 2019–20, Scherbak opened with just 2 goals and 6 points through 16 games before he was released by Avangard Omsk. On November 5, 2019, Scherbak continued in the KHL, joining fellow club Traktor Chelyabinsk for the remainder of the season.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2012–13 	Kapitan Stupino 	MHL 		50 	7 	7 	14 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013–14 	Saskatoon Blades 	WHL 		65 	28 	50 	78 	46 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014–15 	Everett Silvertips 	WHL 		65 	27 	55 	82 	60 		11 	3 	5 	8 	10
2015–16 	St. John's IceCaps 	AHL 		48 	7 	16 	23 	20 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	St. John's IceCaps 	AHL 		66 	13 	28 	41 	32 		4 	1 	1 	2 	4
2016–17 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		3 	1 	0 	1 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	Laval Rocket 	AHL 		26 	7 	23 	30 	20 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		26 	4 	2 	6 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	Laval Rocket 	AHL 		5 	1 	0 	1 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 		8 	1 	0 	1 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	Ontario Reign 	AHL 		23 	4 	7 	11 	18 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	Avangard Omsk 	KHL 		16 	2 	4 	6 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	Traktor Chelyabinsk	KHL 		15 	1 	4 	5 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		37 	6 	2 	8 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
KHL totals	KHL totals 	KHL totals		31 	3 	8 	11 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honours==
Award 	Year	
WHL 	WHL 	WHL
CHL Top Prospects Game (Team Cherry)	2014	
==References==
==External links==
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Category:1995 births
Category:Avangard Omsk players
Category:Everett Silvertips players
Category:Kapitan Stupino players
Category:Laval Rocket players
Category:Los Angeles Kings players
Category:Montreal Canadiens draft picks
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:Ontario Reign (AHL) players
Category:Russian ice hockey right wingers
Category:St. John's IceCaps players
Category:Saskatoon Blades players
Category:Traktor Chelyabinsk players