Former Devil Scores First Goal with Flames

Yegor Sharangovich became somewhat of a fan favorite amongst New Jersey Devils fans. He certainly was a classic underdog story. As a late-round draft selection coming from a non-traditional hockey background, Sharangovich overcame the odds and carved out an NHL career for himself. That surely won the hearts of Devils fans. However, he’s now a member of the Calgary Flames. On Sunday, the former Devils scored his first goal of the season for Calgary.

The Devils selected Sharangovich in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL draft. The Belarus native scored 16 goals and 30 points as a rookie and followed that up with a 24-goal, 46-point encore the following season. Some inconsistencies for Sharangovich contributed toward a down season for the young forward in 2022-23. However, the Flames saw something they liked in Sharangovich and traded for him (in addition to a draft selection) for current Devils forward Tyler Toffoli. Following his acquisition, the Flames extended the pending restricted free agent on a two-year contract.

Sharangovich hasn’t quite figured out his role in Calgary. He started as a winger next to Elias Lindholm on the Flames’ top line. However, part of Calgary’s attraction to Sharangovich was his versatility. Thus, he’s bounced around Calgary’s forward group as the coaching staff searches for a role that suits him.

On Sunday, Sharangovich centered fellow former Devil A.J. Greer and Walker Duehr. Late in the second period of Calgary’s tilt against the Detroit Red Wings, Flames fans got a taste of Sharangovich’s wicked release.

The former Devils forward showed his potentially elite shooting ability that often saw him in New Jersey’s top-six before some new blood was plugged into the Devils lineup. On Sunday, he carried the puck in from the neutral zone, Sharangovich identified the corner he wanted to pick, used Moritz Seider as a screen, and fired the puck past James Reimer from the slot above the circles.

It’s the first step in the right direction for No.17. Calgary identified Sharangovich as a young forward who could become part of their core after a bit of a makeover.

Thus far, the trade has worked out quite well for New Jersey. Toffoli has been an excellent compliment next to Jack Hughes. In fact, he scored his first goal for the Devils on Friday. However, watching from afar, it’s hard not to root for Sharangovich. He’s one of those good guys we all want to see figure it out.

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