New Jersey sent Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft to Calgary.
By the end of the 2022-23 season, New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald knew his team was on the fast track to becoming a Stanley Cup contender. His young core got a taste of postseason hockey and now understands how difficult it is to win a round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In this summer series, I will chronologically break down every move the organization made this offseason and discuss how it positively or negatively impacts the team for the 2023-24 season.
On June 9, GM Fitzgerald received a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Damon Severson. A couple of weeks later, he turned that pick and 25-year-old Yegor Sharagovich into Tyler Toffoli.
During his end-of-season media availability, Sharangovich spoke about his 2022-23 performance and acknowledged his role on the team had changed.
"This season didn't go the way I wanted it to," he said. "I'm going to work on myself this summer. I will change my preseason workouts on the ice because a lot of guys got to a new level. A couple of new guys are on the team, and my ice time went down. My role has changed."
The acquisition of Timo Meier pushed Sharangovich down the lineup, and like Mackenzie Blackwood, the writing was on the wall. GM Fitzgerald has previously spoken about wanting to diversify his roster, and a veteran and former Stanley Cup champion is currently more of a need than a 25-year-old with three playoff games of experience.
That's not to say that Sharangovich is a bad player. In a recent Locked on Devils Podcast episode, I spoke about the infatuation of grading trades and breaking down the winners and losers. While it makes an entertaining read, only some trades are lopsided. Sometimes both teams get what they need. In this instance, the Devils added another veteran with playoff experience, and the Flames brought in a versatile middle-six forward who, over the past three seasons, put up at least 30 points.
Toffoli is what New Jersey needs as they apply the playoff experience they gained last season and push further this season. The 31-year-old is coming off a career season where he tallied 73 points (34 goals, 39 assists) in 82 games. More importantly, 25 of those points came on the power play, an area considered the Devils weakness last season.
During his introductory media availability, Toffoli spoke about what fans can expect from him.
"Personally, I've gotten better and better, and it's something that I really take pride in. I train hard in the summer to contribute during the season," Toffoli said. "I'm looking forward to doing whatever is asked of me. Obviously, I want to come in and score goals and get points, but at the same time, I really take pride in playing the full 200-foot game and all those little things."
This trade will positively impact the Devils in the 2023-24 season. The addition of the Scarborough, Ontario native solidifies New Jersey's top nine as one of the best in the league. Toffoli brings experience, winning pedigree, and leadership to the Devils locker room and will join Ondrej Palat as the only Stanley Cup Champions on GM Fitzgerald's roster.
The Devils got a taste of the postseason last spring. The next step is to build upon that experience and solidify themselves as a true Stanley Cup contender, and Toffoli is another piece of New Jersey's Stanley Cup puzzle.