The Calgary Flames turned plenty of heads early this offseason when they announced that they had traded Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils. Given that Toffoli had led the Flames last season with 34 goals and 73 points, the expectation was that they would be getting plenty back in return. Instead, however, they received just a forward struggling to find his way in Yegor Sharangovich, along with a third-round draft pick.
While fans slowly started becoming excited about Sharangovich’s potential, the general consensus was still that the Flames moved Toffoli for a well below market-value price. Now, as we approach the 10-game mark of the 2023-24 season, it is becoming clearer by the day that the Flames absolutely botched this deal.
Toffoli Was Willing to Remain a Flame
Shortly after Toffoli was traded, it was reported that he requested a trade from the Flames. That has since been confirmed to be true, though unlike others on the Flames who were unhappy with the organization during the 2022-23 season, Toffoli wasn’t one of them.
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Toffoli has been on record since the trade went down saying that he loved his time in Calgary, and was hoping to sign an extension. The Flames, however, seemed to be hesitant, despite the fact they remained hopeful to bring back others such as Mikael Backlund and Elias Lindholm. The lack of interest towards Toffoli seemed to frustrate him, which then led to the request. Had this been handled better by management, there is a great chance he would still be wearing a Flames sweater.
Instead, Toffoli is now with the Devils, and any thoughts of him slowing down after a career-best 2022-23 season have quickly been shut down. The 31-year-old has settled in seamlessly with his new squad, as he has six goals and nine points through six games. For those wondering, Andrew Mangiapane’s three goals and six points lead the Flames.
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As for Sharangovich, he has done little to help ease the minds of Flames fans who were worried about this deal from the get-go. Through seven games, he has just a goal and an assist, and has been a non-factor more often than not for the short time he has been in Calgary. That isn’t to suggest he can’t turn things around, as it often takes players time to settle in after being traded, but as of now, it is hard to view this move as anything other than a disaster.
Conroy Moved the Wrong Player
Had the Flames started the season well, there may not be much focus on how the Toffoli trade has worked out just yet. Due to their 2-4-1 start, however, it is impossible to ignore. While it is not fair to judge Craig Conroy as a general manager based on one move, it is well within reason to say his first trade in his new role was a failure.
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What makes things all the more frustrating is that Conroy does appear willing to re-sign others who were in a similar spot as Toffoli from a contract perspective. Backlund has since been given a two-year extension, and negotiations are ongoing with Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. It is also believed that Chris Tanev was offered a deal, though the two sides remain some distance apart. Given some of those players’ comments at the end of the 2022-23 season compared to Toffoli’s it is rather confusing as to why he was the one Conroy chose to move on from.
Devils Reaping the Rewards
While Flames fans are undoubtedly frustrated with the move, Devils fans are anything but. They were not only able to move an underachieving Sharangovich, but in doing so were able to bring back a high-caliber player in Toffoli. He is currently leading the talented Devils in goals, and trails only Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt in points. Barring an unforeseeable change of events, the Devils will long be viewed as the major winners of this deal.