Breaking: Calgary Flames Make First Trade The Off-Season

The Calgary Flames came into this off-season with a few goals in mind: firstly to get younger and quicker and secondly to make up their mind on seven upcoming free agents in the 2024 off-season, and on Tuesday just one day before the 2023 NHL Draft, they managed to accomplish those goals.

After plenty of deals have been made already, the Flames finally got in on the action as they traded 2022-23 leading scorer Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick and young forward Yegor Sharangovich.

The team acquired Toffoli during the 2021-22 season for Tyler Pitlick, Emil Heineman, a 2022 first-round pick and a 2023 fifth-round pick, and after a career year this past season in which he scored 34 goals and 39 assists for 73 points, the return is certainly underwhelming.

In return, the Flames have landed a young 25-year old in Sharangovich who has played three seasons at the NHL level, tallying 53 goals and 53 assists for 106 points in his 206 career NHL games. His 2021-22 campaign was a career best thus far, as he recorded 24 goals and 22 assists in 76 games played, and if he is put in the right situation in Calgary, perhaps alongside a revitalized Jonathan Huberdeau, there’s a chance for him to find a great role at the NHL level.

Ultimately, the return looks underwhelming for Toffoli coming off a career year, but he was not going to re-sign after this season, and for the Flames to get a talented young forward and a third-round pick out of that was somewhat positive for the team going forward.

So what do you think of the first trade under Craig Conroy? Was it enough for Toffoli coming off a career year? Where do you think Sharangovich fits in on this current roster? Will we see more trades coming over the next few days? As always, let us know in the comments below.