First domino falls in Calgary as Flames trade leading scorer Toffoli

The first domino has fallen for the Calgary Flames.

On Tuesday afternoon, new Flames general manager Craig Conroy consummated his first transaction as the chief hockey operations decision-maker, shipping the team’s leading scorer Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for centre Yegor Sharangovich and the 80th overall pick at this year’s NHL Draft. 

Toffoli had requested a trade following the Flames’ disappointing 2022-23 campaign – they missed the playoffs by two points – and can become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The 31-year-old native of Scarborough, Ont., is coming off a career-high 73-point season, his only full season in Calgary, while mostly playing alongside centre Elias Lindholm on the top line.

The 25-year-old Sharangovich, meanwhile, had a depth role with the Devils, producing 30 points, including 13 goals, over 75 games last season. Among the 13 Devils forwards who played 41 games, he was eighth in even-strength ice time per game but second in shorthanded ice time per game, trailing only captain Nico Hischier.

Conroy and the Flames are betting on Sharangovich (who is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights) producing more on a team where he’ll get more opportunity. Toffoli played in all situations, and his absence opens the door for Sharangovich to possibly play on a scoring line in his new colours. 

“I think he’s going to get a real good opportunity with our guys, probably in the top-nine somewhere and a little more maybe power-play time, just to be put in a situation where he can be in offensive situations,” Conroy said in an interview with TSN.

“This year, he was more in defensive situations and still contributed. To be down a couple of minutes and maybe third-, fourth-line minutes and still produce the way he did is a positive. Now moving forward here with us, I think he’s going to get a little more ice time.”

With the Devils last season, Sharangovich played the bulk of his five-on-five minutes alongside Jesper Boqvist, Jack Hughes and Dawson Mercer. He was third on New Jersey in percentage of five-on-five shifts he started in the offensive zone (56.6), trailing only Hughes and Jesper Bratt. However, his on-ice goals-for percentage was 13th among those forwards (45.5). Conroy is banking on those underlying numbers to improve in this new situation.

“He can play all three forward positions, which is really versatile, so that helps,” Conroy said.

“He’s got a great shot. Good shot, size, he’s got good offensive instincts, so we thought bringing him in, obviously he didn’t get a lot of power-play time in New Jersey at times, but we feel like he’s a great penalty killer and, with our team, he’s going to get some power-play time, too, which will help him, too.”

For his part, Sharangovich is excited about the fresh start.

"Yegor, his wife Darya and baby boy Christian are extremely excited to join the Calgary Flames!” his agent Dan Milstein said in a statement to TSN.

“They look forward to settling in and embracing new community."

Despite Sharangovich’s upside, there is a real question as to whether the Flames maximized Toffoli’s value on the open market. While the forward had requested a trade, a return of a third-line forward and third-round pick is lower than many anticipated for a Stanley Cup-winning, bona fide top-six winger lauded for his leadership skills and who is coming off a career season.

Conroy implied that the market didn’t quite develop for Toffoli and said that the Devils and Flames had been working on the deal for five or six hours before it was finalized. The rookie GM mentioned asset management during his first press conference last month, but that did not ultimately work out for the Flames and Toffoli. They dealt a first-round pick, a mid-round pick, and prospect Emil Heineman for him on February 14, 2022. A year and a half later and coming off a significantly better season, Toffoli was ultimately dealt for a third-round pick and a third liner. 

“The market was there, but wasn’t,” Conroy said. 

“I think like everything, you’re watching the deals that are around. Everybody just feeling everybody out right now, but for us, we feel like we got a player we wanted, a younger guy at 25 that has proven he can score some goals, and then to get the third round pick, that’s really is what made it attractive to us.”

Toffoli was open to staying in Calgary, but ultimately the team and player did not see eye to eye on the parameters of an extension. 

“I think he loved Calgary,” Conroy said.

“It was just one of those things where things weren’t working out maybe exactly [how] he wanted and the timeframe he wanted too. We didn’t do it for any other reason than we thought [it’s] a good deal for us.”

Lindholm as well fellow Flames centre Mikael Backlund and defenceman Noah Hanafin will become unrestricted free agents next year and have indicated in recent reports that they may not re-sign with Calgary. Conroy addressed Lindholm’s future on Tuesday as well.

“We’re still just talking with Elias right now and that’s kind of where we’re at,” he said.

“Nothing really to report right at this moment.”