The New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames have a trade in place regarding forward Yegor Sharangovich and veteran Tyler Toffoli. Sharangovich and a third-round pick are headed to Flames in exchange for Toffoli. In addition, Sharangovich has not yet agreed to a contract extension with Calgary.
Sharangovich and Toffoli Swap Places
A Sharangovich trade always made sense for the Devils coming into the offseason. When first entering the league, he played primarily top six minutes next to Jack Hughes. However, this past season saw his role diminish to primarily the third line and penalty kill. With cap space growing tight in New Jersey, the team elects to cash in and recoup assets on the 25-year-old.
What This Means for Sharangovich
This trade provides Yegor Sharangovich with a fresh start on the Flames. The former fifth-round pick in 2018 carved out a nice career for himself since coming over from the KHL. Over his three seasons in New Jersey, Sharangovich has scored 106 points in 205 games. Coming into 2022-23, expectations were high for him to build off of a 24-goal and 46-point season. However, with the emergence of Dawson Mercer, and the eventual acquisition of Timo Meier, Sharangovich found himself struggling for ice time. He also only ended up appearing in just three of New Jersey’s 12 postseason games.
What This Means for Toffoli
The Devils get a proven scorer that can put in goals. He recorded a career-high 34 goals for 73 points in 82 games. Toffoli has one season remaining on his four-year, $17 million contract which features an average annual value of $4.25 million. He came over from the Montreal Canadiens at the 2022 trade deadline.
Over 733 career games with the Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Canadiens and Flames, Toffoli has 227 goals and 239 assists. He also has 18 goals and 26 assists over 88 playoff games, helping the Kings win the Stanley Cup in 2014.
Impact of the Trade
Sharangovich was once a promising young player in the Devils organization and is a prime bounce-back candidate in Calgary. While he may not be the top-six winger he was once tapped to be, he can provide solid goalscoring in the middle six. Sharangovich is known for his shot, highlighted by his 53 career goals.
Where some more of his value lies in the penalty kill. Although not known for being an elite defensive player, Sharangovich was part of a penalty kill unit that ranked fourth in the NHL. Also, despite his great shot, he was sparingly used on New Jersey’s powerplay, something that should change in Calgary.
This trade is a win-win for both organizations. For New Jersey, they part ways with a solid, yet expendable middle-six forward for a proven player. As for Calgary, they bring in a goalscorer who’s in his mid-20’s and has bounce-back potential to reach 40-plus points again.
Toffoli comes over and gives the Devils some more scoring punch. The team has some dynamic forwards and will make a push once again in the Metropolitan Division.
Main Photo: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
