The New Jersey Devils made a big splash prior to the NHL Draft. They acquired Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames in exchange for Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick in the 2023 draft, which the Flames used to select Aydar Suniev. This moves signifies that the Devils are truly ready to move forward and contend for the Stanley Cup for the next few seasons. They have bided their time, and now, they have the majority of the pieces in place to make deep playoff runs for years to come. This trade gives them another offensive weapon, and it makes their top-six one of the best in the league going into the 2023-24 season.
Toffoli’s Career Season
Toffoli is coming off a career season with the Flames. Even though they were not a good team for the majority of the 2022-23 season, he still was able to put up great numbers. He scored 34 goals and 73 points in 82 games played, the second time Toffoli has hit the 30-goal mark in his career and the first time since the 2015-16 season when he was a member of the Los Angeles Kings. He was able to put up career numbers even though the players around him, like Johnathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri, each had taken a step back for their previous season. The entire Flames organization was a mess last season, but Toffoli was one of their bright spots.
It became known over the past few weeks that Toffoli wanted a trade out of Calgary, and he wasn’t the only player to tell the Flames that they were not interested in re-signing after next season. Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanafin and Mikael Backlund are all hesitant to sign with the Flames going forward. Toffoli was the first player to go, and the Devils were able to get him and not give up much in the process.
What Did the Devils Lose?
Sharangovich had an interesting time as a Devil. He had a solid rookie season and followed it up with an even better second season, scoring 24 goals and 46 points in 74 games played on a bad Devils team. It looked like he had the potential to be a 30-goal scorer, but he took a step back last season, totaling only 13 goals and 30 points in 75 games played. He was also healthy scratched for most of the playoffs, as he only got into three contests. There had been trade rumors circling him most of the offseason since he was a restricted free agent, and teams were interested in acquiring his rights. The Flames signed him to a two-year deal worth $3.1 million per season, and he will get the chance to play more in Calgary.
Related: Grading The Toffoli Trade
Sharangovich is only 25 years old and can still become the player the Devils thought he could be, but he wasn’t a fit for this team moving forward. They traded him for a more established player who has Stanley Cup experience and will help this team more next season than Sharangovich would have. The Devils also traded a third in the 2023 draft, but that isn’t a big deal because they’ve made so many picks over the years, and now is the time when they move future draft choices in order to bring in players who can help them win now. That is exactly what they did with the Toffoli deal.
Toffoli Slides Into the Top-Six
The Devils now have one of the best top-six groups in the NHL. On one line, they’ll have Jack Hughes, Dawson Mercer and Jesper Bratt. On the next line, they’ll have Nico Hischier, the newly extended Timo Meier, and now, Toffoli. His presence in this group makes them even more dangerous because of the scoring he will bring to the team. Instead of having a player like Erik Haula in the top-six like they did last season, they can have him play on the third line, and that gives this team more depth moving forward.
While this past season might be an outlier, it might also be a precursor of what will come with the Devils. If Toffoli could put up those numbers on a bad Flames team, he might be able to be even better playing with the talent that the Devils have. Even if he does leave after next season, all that matters is what he does this season with the Devils. If he can help them take the next step or even help them win a Cup, then this trade was worth it. This was another great move made by general manager Tom Fitzgerald.
