Calgary Flames Facing $29 Million Disaster With Already-Extended Forward
Photo credit: Sergei Belski/Reuters
The Flames recently signed Yegor Sharangovich to a contract extension, however, the forward has not been panning out as hoped and it could have been a mistake.
The Calgary Flames have had a generally trouble-free year, though their scoring remains a problem, a not-unexpected nuisance for a team that let several veterans go so they could start rebuilding.
They've still held a playoff position, however, with only 17 games to go in the season. The only major letdown has been Yegor Sharangovich.
After a fantastic 2023-24 season, where he scored 31 goals and 59 points, the 26-year-old was inked to a five-year, $28.75 million extension. His performance this season, though, has fallen far below expectations.
When the Flames picked up Sharangovich in the infamous Tyler Toffoli trade, they knew that he was going to be a streaky player who had already pretty much annoyed the New Jersey Devils organization.
Sharangovich's play has fallen off a cliff this season
While he was promising in his first season with Calgary, that kind of consistency has been lost.
Sharangovich fought through some demons this year. His confidence is broken, he can't get the scoring opportunities, won't shoot with his great release, and has just 12 goals and 23 points in 57 games.
That he can't score hints at a larger issue: he isn't helping anywhere else. He's not a physical presence, is middling at best defensively, and isn't doing much outside of a bit of goal-scoring.
As a result, head coach Ryan Huska has had trouble keeping him in the lineup, even healthy scratching him on the recent team road trip.
The Flames now have a bitter lesson to learn about the risks of making long-term commitments to this type of inconsistent player.
| POLL | ||
MARS 17 | 220 ANSWERS Calgary Flames Facing $29 Million Disaster With Already-Extended Forward Was signing Yegor Sharangovich to a contract extension a mistake? | ||
| Yes | 161 | 73.2 % |
| No | 59 | 26.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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