All eyes will be on this weekend’s 2024 NHL All-Star Game. However, the trade deadline is right around the corner, on March 8. While the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks recently swapped Andrei Kuzmenko and Elias Lindholm, that is just the beginning of a busy trade period that lies ahead.
The Carolina Hurricanes could be looking to add to a roster that has been on fire since Dec. 1. Questions still surround their goalie situation as they are thin at the position. Frederik Andersen was recently cleared for limited on-ice conditioning, and management also claimed Spencer Martin off waivers in the middle of January to figure out the situation. The team could also use depth on defense or even somewhere in the forward group.
Related: Hurricanes’ Andersen to Begin On-Ice Conditioning
Many want the Hurricanes to add a legitimate second-line center and move Jesperi Kotkaniemi to the fourth line. However, he has not played with consistent wingers, so it seems premature to move him. Instead of adding a center, it might be in the team’s best interest to look for a depth-scoring winger who could play on either side of him, or even at center if need be. The Flames have one such versatile forward who could play all three positions and could be of interest to Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell.
Sharangovich Having Excellent Campaign in Calgary
In his first season with the Flames, Sharangovich is having the best campaign of his career. The 25-year-old from Minsk, Belarus, ranks third on the Flames in points this season with 35 and has tallied 20 goals in 49 games. He is tied for the team lead in goals alongside Blake Coleman and is also tied for ninth in assists with 15. While his minus-14 could be a downside, he is averaging over 17 minutes of ice time.
Sharangovich is on pace to set career highs in goals, assists, and points. His best season in all three categories came in 2021-22 with the New Jersey Devils when he scored 24 goals and 46 points in 76 games – he is only four goals and seven assists shy of tying those numbers with 33 games left in the regular season.
Sharangovich, In his fourth NHL season, is on his second team after spending three seasons with the Devils. In 254-career NHL games, he has 73 goals and 141 points. He signed a two-year, $6.2 million deal (with a cap hit of $3.1 million per season) with the Flames last June, and he will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) after the 2024-25 season.
Related: Flames Sign Yegor Sharangovich to 2-Year Contract
Sharangovich would give the Hurricanes a solid-scoring winger to play in the top six or anywhere they need him in the lineup. Per CapFriendly, he can play all three forward positions, and he could also be used on special teams.
His $3.1 million annual average value (AAV) would only take up 3.71% of the cap, and his term would give them more flexibility in the offseason with players like Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, Teuvo Teravainen set to become UFAs. Plus, restricted free agents Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas, and Jack Drury.
How A Hurricanes Trade For Sharangovich Could Work
A trade that could work for both teams could include prospect defenseman Scott Morrow, Necas, and the Hurricanes’ 2024 second-round pick, meaning the Flames would receive an NHL winger, a top defensive prospect, and a pick in the upcoming draft for one player.
In his third NCAA season, Morrow has five goals and 21 points in 22 games for the UMass. Last season, he tallied nine goals and 31 points in 35 games. The 21-year-old Darlen, Connecticut, native has been almost a point-per-game defenseman for the Minutemen every season since he started in 2021-22. He was selected by the Hurricanes with the 40th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
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Necas has 13 goals and 31 points in 43 games for the Hurricanes this season. It hasn’t been an easy campaign for the 25-year-old Czechian winger, but since his return from an upper-body injury sustained earlier in January, he has scored four goals and five points in five games. Before the injury, his play was underwhelming compared to last season, where he led the team in points with 71.
Related: Hurricanes’ Necas on a Hot Streak After Return from Injury
He will be an restricted free agent (RFA) after the season and could be looking for a pay raise. A move to send him to the Flames could benefit Carolina by avoiding any potential to arbitration. Securing a contract like Sharangovich’s is something that could help Carolina because he will be locked up until after the 2024-25 season.
Both players are 25 years old and separated by four points. While Sharangovich has seven more goals than Necas, he has three fewer assists. Necas’ AAV is $3 million, only $100,000 less than Sharangovich’s. Them being the same age, in the same price range would make it a simple swap of wingers, even though Necas’ contract expires after this season.
The deal would also be worthwhile for the Flames because they would be adding a high-end prospect in Morrow, who would be a great addition to their defensive prospect pipeline.
It’s possible the Flames don’t want to give up Sharangovich, but a trade is always possible if the price is right. It might take a first-round pick or a different prospect, but the Hurricanes would benefit from inquiring about Sharangovich’s availability to help fill the holes in their lineup. Losing Necas would be tough, but if the Hurricanes want to win the Stanley Cup, players such Necas could be what the team has to give up to acquire the right additions to the roster.