The Flames looked for a long-term benefit to the deal, and the results appear close to expectations
Tyler Toffoli is making his return to the Saddledome.
While the Calgary Flames look to build off Thursday’s exciting 3-2 comeback victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, the Saturday matinee clash with the New Jersey Devils is a chance to revisit last summer’s trade between the clubs.
The Flames dealt Toffoli, who led the team last season with 34 goals and 73 points, to New Jersey in exchange for Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third-round draft pick used to select Aydar Suniev.
Toffoli is skating on the top line alongside Jack Hughes, and leads the Devils (13-10-1) with 12 goals in 24 games. He is third on the team with 21 points.
“Tyler was a good player for us, there’s no doubt about it,” Flames coach Ryan Huska told the media on Friday. “He brought a lot of things to our team, he won, he has a pedigree about him, for sure. He’s got a lot of good friends in our room, but not (on Saturday).”
Toffoli, 31, is a pending UFA after this season.
As for Sharangovich, the 25-year-old forward bounced around the lineup for the first month and struggled to find his footing. But after a slow start has found his way the past few weeks and seen his ice time climb.
Sharangovich, who has collected five goals and 12 points in 26 games, has played more than 21 minutes in four of the past five games, not only taking a regular shift alongside Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane, but also skating on the power play and penalty kill.
“He’s a talented player, he can shoot the puck, he can make plays in small areas, he’s got some creativity to him,” Huska said. “What we want to keep seeing him do is work on how hard he is on the puck.
“If there’s something that’s up for grabs or 50-50, we want him hungrier and harder on it to make sure he gives himself an opportunity to make those plays, so that’s the push we have with him right now.”
Suniev, the 6-2, 198-lb., left wing who turned 19 last month, has collected six goals and 11 points in 14 games as a freshman at University of Massachusetts.
In his squad’s 11-2 win over Alaska-Anchorage on Friday, Suniev netted one goal and three assists.