Flames' Sharangovich now has more goals and points than Toffoli

The single trade the Calgary Flames made this offseason has turned out to be much better than initially thought.

Many Flames fans were stunned and frustrated when they learned that general manager Craig Conroy had shipped off the team’s leading scorer, Tyler Toffoli, to the New Jersey Devils. The return of an inconsistent Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick felt like a low return then.

Early in the season, the move seemed disastrous for the Flames, as Toffoli burst out of the gates with the Devils while Sharangovich struggled to adapt to his new surroundings. That has changed drastically since the 25-year-old found his game and became a high-impact player for the Flames.

Thanks to a hat trick on Thursday night versus the Arizona Coyotes, Sharangovich has 17 goals and 30 points on the season. With the big performance, he surpassed both Toffoli’s goal total (16) and his point total (29). Suddenly, a trade that looked ugly has arguably become a win for the Flames.

What helps turn this deal in the Flames’ favour is that Sharangovich has one more season remaining on his contract with what now looks like a very team-friendly $3.1 million cap hit. Toffoli, on the other hand, is set to become a UFA this summer and will be in line for a big contract. Given that he will be 32 before the 2024-25 season begins, there is a chance that whoever signs him next could get a player that will soon be on the decline.

As far as the Devils are concerned, even if Sharangovich were to finish the season with more points than Toffoli, the trade may still not be a loss. It was quite clear that the Russian forward needed a change of scenery, as he simply wasn’t producing with the Devils. Nevertheless, this is a move that is paying massive dividends for Conroy and the Flames right now.

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