Flames acquiring Sharangovich for Toffoli looking better by the day
Perhaps we were all too quick to judge the only trade Calgary Flames general manager (GM) Craig Conroy made this summer.
Just a month after being named the Flames GM, Conroy made his first transaction, sending Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third-round pick.
Despite Toffoli requesting a trade, the deal was met with scrutiny, given that the 31-year-old was the Flames’ leading scorer in 2022-23. Sharangovich, meanwhile, was a relatively young player with plenty of skill but one who seemed to struggle with consistency.
Early into the 2023-24 season, even more criticism was thrown Conroy’s way, as Toffoli started out red hot with the Devils while Sharangovich was making little to no impact with the Flames. As of late, however, that has changed in a big way.
To Toffoli’s credit, he continues to have a strong season with the Devils, as his 12 goals are tied for the team lead, while his 21 points are third. That said, he is in the final year of his current contract and will be in line for another big deal, which could make it difficult for the Devils to keep him around.
As for Sharangovich, he has one additional season on his deal with a cap hit of just $3.1 million, a number that appears to be a bargain based on what he has done as of late.
The 25-year-old has goals in three straight games, giving him a team-leading nine on the season to go with 16 points. As head coach Ryan Huska recently said, it seems he is getting more comfortable in his new surroundings and, as a result, is morphing into the player Conroy had envisioned.
While there is still plenty of season to go, it is evident how things have played out as of late that many, myself included, were too quick to judge this trade. While Sharangovich may not finish the season with better totals than Toffoli, he is locked up for another year and, at this point in time, is one of the Flames’ best offensive contributors. Adding that in exchange for a player who no longer wanted to be in Calgary seems like some pretty tidy work from Conroy.
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