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Free Agency: RFAs - Yegor Sharangovich |
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Free Agency: RFAs - Yegor Sharangovich
Hope you are all having a great week. Let’s jump right into our next RFA profile.
Here’s an update on our possible RFA situation and cap so far:
Offense:
Nathan Bastian - Resigned $1.3M (could be 1-3 years, up to Bastian/Devils)
Jesper Boqvist - Resigned $1.5M (1-2 year prove it deal)
Jesper Bratt - Resigned $7.5M (Assuming a trade doesn’t come along that we like)
Michael McCleod - Resigned $1.75M
Timo Meier - Resigned $8.5M
Yegor Sharangovich
Defense:
Kevin Bahl
Goaltending:
MacKenzie Blackwood
Leftover Cap - $14,032,500
Our next RFA to discuss is:
Yegor Sharangovich
Fun Fact: Yegor comes from Belarus and represents them on the international hockey stage as their captain. The only other player on the most current roster to play in the US is current Capitals prospect Aliaksei Protas, who plays on the Hershey Bears. Also, an interesting fact regarding Yegor’s hometown of Minsk, Belarus: cycling is incredibly popular. There is a bike for every 1.9 people in the city and there are more bikes than cars.
Player Profile and Season Storyline:
Drafted 141st in the 2018 Entry Draft, Yegor Sharangovich saw modest growth as he began play in the AHL with Binghamton. During the first COVID season, he made the switch with a loan to KHL’s HC Dinamo Minsk, scoring 17 goals and elevating his game to a new level and pushing his team into a playoff spot before losing to SKA St. Petersburg. Debuting for the Devils in the same season, he carved a name for himself as a physical grinding mid-6 center with scoring potential. Since then, he has had some ups and downs. Sharangovich has been pushed to develop into a utility forward, playing on either wing. He had some chemistry with Hughes and Mercer during his strongest season but was shuffled around this season. Yegor was played very sparingly the last few months of the season, with his final score sheet tally being an assist in an April 13th game vs. the Capitals.
Stat Analysis:
Yegor Sharangovich has grown into a capable NHLer, albeit with hot and cold streaks. His first two seasons saw points, goals, and assists grow. He topped goals at 24, assists at 22, and points at 46 last season. Many Devils fans, myself included, thought that he was a surefire choice to keep in the mid-to-upper 6 forward range with strong potential. Conversely, due to inconsistent play (or questionable line combo’s / coaching patience), he regressed a bit, going 13G-17A-30P with 3 scoreless playoff games to boot. If he had contributed well in the playoffs like Michael Mcleod for example, this might be a very different conversation.
Benefits and Drawbacks for Bringing Back:
Benefits - Young utility forward with a good scoring touch when hot
Drawbacks - Potential may be limited to skillset of linemates
Should we keep him:
Verdict - Trade. Hear me out. We have a good core of young up and coming forwards and an expensive pair of resignings with Bratt and Meier this season. This could be a good time to capitalize on Yegor’s potential to make the team a deeper core with more weapons and recoup draft capital for the upcoming draft. I think our aim should be to rebuild draft picks to help the future and grab a somewhat similar roster piece. I’m thinking of a current 3rd round pick plus a conditional 1st based on Yegor’s performance. One possible partner is Chicago, who may want to jumpstart their rebuild and have a ton of trade capital and open cap. Here’s my proposal:
Possible Trade
NJD Receive:
LW Philip Kurashev
2023 3rd Round Pick
2024 Conditional 1st Round Pick (Yegor scores 30+ goals / hits 55+ points)
CHI Receive:
LW/C Yegor Sharangovich
2024 Conditional 5th Round Pick (Whichever is worst between NJD and COL)
Leftover Cap - $14,032,500
Totally open to other trade options or ideas. Leave your thoughts or comments below. Raise Hell!
-Josh Biringer
New Jersey Devils Blogger • 
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