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Flames’ Yegor Sharangovich Has Proved His Worth This Season

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Gurpal Singh | Last updated 4/18/24

Despite the Calgary Flames not qualifying for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, a lot of positive aspects can be taken from this season. One of these bright spots has to be Yegor Sharangovich, who has emerged as a big piece to be included in this Flames’ retool.

The 25-year-old forward from Belarus has had quite an impressive season, notching 31 goals and 59 points in 81 games. Before coming to Calgary, Sharangovich put up promising totals in New Jersey but ended up having his role overtaken by other younger players. In his last season with the Devils, Sharangovich often saw bottom-six minutes and at some points was made a healthy scratch. However, Flames GM Craig Conroy wanted to add some youth to the Flames’ lineup and saw Sharangovich as a good piece to start with. He would opt to acquire him from the Devils along with a third-round pick in exchange for veteran winger Tyler Toffoli.

This was Conroy’s first-ever trade as GM and it came with a lot of criticism. Many fans at the time believed that Sharangovich and a third wasn’t enough value for Toffoli, who was coming off a career season. There was also a lot of skepticism on Sharangovich’s level of play and whether or not he would be a viable replacement for Toffoli offense-wise.

Well, it’s safe to say that the critics were wrong and this ended up being a huge win for the Flames. Not only is Sharangovich six years younger than Toffoli, but he has also made the most out of his new opportunity achieving career highs and other personal milestones. He has proven himself greatly to fans who have now fully embraced his style of play and his presence on the team.

Sharangovich To Play a Major Part in Retool

With Sharangovich only being 25 years old, he fits perfectly into Conroy’s plans during this retool. Part of Conroy’s goal was to find young players who were able to contribute to the Flames’ roster right away, and Sharangovich has clearly done so. Sharangovich’s ceiling is high and there’s no doubt that he could easily become a regular 25-30 goal scorer for this team.

There’s also the versatility in his game. Sharangovich can play all three forward positions and has been a strong presence on both the penalty kill and the powerplay. There’s no doubt that learning a new system with a new team can be challenging and it took a couple of months for Sharangovich to fit in. But as the season continued, his potential became more obvious and he now will likely see himself as the leading goal scorer for the Flames this season.

From healthy scratch to leading goal scorer is an amazing achievement, and it just shows how many players in the NHL will make the most out of new opportunities when given. He has proven all his critics wrong and has stepped up to become a notable player for the Flames for the foreseeable future.

Sharangovich’s Future With The Flames

The Flames signed Sharangovich to a two-year, $6.2 million extension when he was acquired. His yearly cap hit of $3.1 million has proven to be an extremely good value for the Flames given his production. It begs the question however that he is likely in for a big raise if his production continues to stay strong.

Sharangovich has every reason to seek a substantial raise as he has carved out a prominent role for himself. The Flames likely find a way to come to terms with him quickly as he will reach UFA status at the end of his current deal. Do we see a potential long-term extension in the cards, or do the Flames aim for a more short-term deal? These questions just add to the uncertainty that the Flames face this offseason, as they look to pave a clear path toward a direction for the future.

Regardless, the consensus among Flames fans is that an extension for Sharangovich would be well received. He has been a standout player for the Flames this season for his actions on and off the ice. He has been embraced fully by Flames fans as the retool continues. Sharangovich has proven to critics that he will be an important piece for the Flames’ forward core for potentially years to come.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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