Yegor Sharangovich has been having an incredible season so far with the Calgary Flames. The 25-year-old scored the second hat trick of his career on Jan. 11 when the Flames played the Arizona Coyotes. He’s found his place within the team very quickly and has proven his worth on the ice. He has added another level to the Flames’ play style with 17 goals and 13 assists.
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The Flames acquired Sharangovich from the New Jersey Devils after the 2022-23 season along with a third-round pick in exchange for Tyler Toffoli. Despite only spending two seasons with the Devils, the 31-year-old was a fan favourite. He scored a career-high 34 goals in the 2022-23 season so the trade was a shock to many.
Sharangovich’s Time With The Devils
Sharangovich showed some promise when he played for the Devils. He had scored a total of 53 goals during his three seasons in New Jersey, with eight of them being game-winners. The forward scored 24 goals during the 2021-22 season, his first full season with the Devils. He was drafted in 2018 and played for the Devils’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Binghamton Devils. The forward opted to play for Dinamo Minsk while the NHL was postponed due to COVID for part of the 2020-21 season. Once the NHL season resumed, he joined the Devils once more, ending the season with 16 goals and 14 assists. He also finished 10th in the votes for the Calder Trophy in his rookie year.
Although he had a good start, there was no denying that the young forward struggled during his last season with the Devils. He only scored 13 goals and sat out multiple games as a healthy scratch due to his underwhelming performance. This, combined with Toffoli’s outstanding showing with the Flames, caused a lot of questions when the trade was announced (from ‘Flames notebook: Revisiting Calgary’s Yegor Sharangovich-Tyler Toffoli trade’, The Athletic, Dec. 15, 2023).
Sharangovich and the Flames
Sharangovich bounced around different lines during the first months of the 2023-24 season, as did many of the Flames’ forwards. As the team has settled down, he’s found himself playing alongside Elias Lindholm and Jonathan Huberdeau. This combination has been a game-changer for the Flames, as Huberdeau’s performance has improved exponentially and Sharangovich has been putting on a masterclass offensively.
While with the Devils, the Belarusian forward ended the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons with 30 points. He already has 30 points with the Flames and there is still half a season yet to play. He has notched 17 goals so far, with one being the game-winner against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 16. The forward is well on his way to overshadowing his 46-point season with the Devils in 2021-22.
Hat Tricks For Sharangovich
Sharangovich’s hat trick against the Coyotes was the second one of his career. His first came against the Florida Panthers on April 2 during the 2021-22 season. Although the Devils ultimately lost that game 7-6 in overtime, the forward’s three goals went a long way to keep his team in the game.
The hat trick earned by Sharangovich on Jan. 11 was an exhibition of skill. His first goal was a shorthanded goal. During a Coyotes’ power play, MacKenzie Weegar stole the puck at the blue line and gave it to Blake Coleman, who kept it safe until Sharangovich got into open ice. From there it was easy for the forward to get the puck up and over Karel Vejmelka.
Sharangovich’s second goal came from a two-on-one as he and Huberdeau found themselves behind all but one of the Coyotes as Lindholm sent the puck up ice. The forward’s third, and last goal, was a power play goal. After some scrambling in front of the net as the Flames tried to score, the players slowed down and became more precise. A couple of quick passes from Weegar, Huberdeau, and Lindholm created the perfect opening for him to sneak in and finish off his hat trick with a bang.
Sharangovich’s Future With the Flames
Sharangovich is one of the three young players who have been shaking up the Flames. Alongside rookies Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil, the 25-year-old has created energy within the organization that has been missing since the departures of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk after the 2021-22 season. Veteran players Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri have experienced an improvement in their performance since they began playing on the same lines as the young players. Huberdeau’s confidence has returned as he broke his 18-game goal drought against the Minnesota Wild on Jan. 2.
Sharangovich signed a two-year, $6.2 million contract with the Flames when they acquired him from the Devils. With how well his first season has gone, it seems like the Flames made a good investment. As the team continues with their rebuilding phase, he may have begun to etch out a place for himself in the Flames’ future.
