Sharangovich for Toffoli trade is looking even better for Flames
General manager (GM) Craig Conroy has support from the Calgary Flames fan base, but that wasn’t the case early on.
Just one month into his new role as GM, Conroy made his first trade, sending Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Yegor Sharnagovich and a 2023 third-round pick.
Many Flames fans criticized this move at the time. Toffoli was coming off of a season in which he led the Flames in scoring with 34 goals and 73 points. Sharangovich, meanwhile, struggled to get ice time with the Devils and finished the season with 30 points in 75 outings. Now that he has a bigger opportunity with the Flames, however, he has quickly proven just how talented of a player he is.
After a slow start with the Flames, Sharangovich has been one of their most consistent players for several months. His 25 goals sit just one shy of Blake Coleman for the team lead, while his 45 points are third. They are nearly identical to Toffoli’s stats this season, as he has 26 goals and 44 points.
The Devils brought in Toffoli with hopes of bolstering what they believed was a Stanley Cup-contending roster this season. Things didn’t pan out, however, as they sit six points shy of a playoff spot and, as a result, chose to sell Toffoli, who is set to become a UFA this summer.
The return for Toffoli was somewhat underwhelming, as the Devils received only a 2025 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick from the Winnipeg Jets while retaining 50 percent of his cap hit. The Flames, meanwhile, have Sharangovich locked up for one more season with a team-friendly $3.1 million cap hit.
Considering the fact that Toffoli informed Conroy that he wanted to be moved, it’s hard to view this deal as anything but a win for the Flames. What Sharangovich’s future looks like after next season remains to be seen, but there is no denying that this was an impressive move by the Flames GM.
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