Yegor Sharangovich will face the New Jersey Devils for the first time since the trade.
On June 27, 2023, New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald agreed to trade Yegor Sharangovich and a draft pick to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Tyler Toffoli.
Sharangovich, an original Devils draft pick, spent this past summer in Minsk, Belarus. When hockey season rolled around, he set forth on a new adventure in Stampede City with his wife, Darya, and son, Christian.
Through 26 games with the Flames, Sharangovich has collected 12 points (five goals, seven assists). To start the season, he spent time on the fourth line playing alongside another former Devil, A.J. Greer. Over time, he found his rhythm on the penalty kill and began to earn the coaching staff's trust.
He has seen time on the power play and recently has been playing on the team's top line with Andrew Mangiapane and Elias Lindholm.
"He's been a good fit," Lindholm said to Flames reporter Ryan Dittrick. "He's skilled, plays with a lot of pace, and has a nice shot. If he plays the way he did (versus the Dallas Stars) every night for us, we're going to have a lot of success."
Sharangovich finished that game against Dallas with one goal and two assists. It is worth noting he played around 14 minutes, which was the fourth-lowest among forwards.
"He brings a lot of speed, he's got a great shot and has great hands. And he's going to be able to make the type of plays that we saw last night because of it," Mangiapane said to Dittrick. "Those little support plays and things like that … He's so good at it. I feel that was missing earlier for us this season, and we're starting to figure out how to play with each other and build on that chemistry."
There appears to be a consensus that consistency is something the 25-year-old is continuing to deal with and that it comes down to how he plays versus finding the scoresheet.
"I think for (Sharangovich) when he is strong on pucks, he has a really good skill set where he can make plays, whether that's in motion or standing still," said Calgary head coach Ryan Huska. "He understands the offensive side of the game."
"The challenge is to get him consistently strong on pucks, Huska continued. "If there's you and me going after a puck, you need him – more often than not – to say, 'That's mine. And I'm going to come out of that battle with it.'"
Entering today's game, Sharangovich has two points in his last five games. His ice time has increased, and in that span, is around 20 minutes. If the opportunity presents itself, fans should expect to see Sharangovich on the penalty kill with another familiar face, Blake Coleman.
When Flames reporters asked Sharangovich if today's game was one he has been eyeing on the schedule, he said, "Of course, it's fun to play against (my) old team. I'm so excited for the game."