Not too many folks in Calgary knew who Yegor Sharangovich was when the Flames acquired him from the New Jersey Devils last year.

Well, it didn’t take long for the Belarusian forward to make a name for himself around these parts as one of the most talented offensive players on this Flames team. Sharangovich shattered his previous career highs with 31 goals, 28 assists, and 59 points in 82 games with the Flames during the 2023-24 regular season and played his way into a five-year contract extension with the club.

During his tenure with the Devils, Sharangovich endeared himself to fans in the Garden State (and a certain few sickos on Hockey Twitter) with his lethal wrist shot, his happy-go-lucky demeanour, and his tendency to celebrate in the exact same way — left foot planted, right hand raised — after almost every goal he scores.

Under a larger spotlight (and with a larger role) in Calgary, Sharangovich has blossomed into an even stronger player, occasionally playing centre and contributing on a more consistent basis. He’s one of those rare talents who can reliably beat goaltenders with or without a screen from any distance. His shot is just that good.

The Flames bought low and sold high in the trade that brought Sharangovich to Calgary, sending Tyler Toffoli away after a career year in his early 30s and bringing in a much younger player who had shot only 9.9 percent with the Devils in 2022-23 — a far cry from the 14.2 percent he averaged over the previous two seasons. Predictably, Sharangovich rebounded with the Flames in 2023-24, scoring on 31 of his 179 shots (good for a 17.3 percent conversion rate).

Toffoli is a very good player, albeit one who has bounced around quite a bit over the past few years; the San Jose Sharks will be his seventh different team since 2020. Trading him was the right move for a Flames team entering a transitory phase. Calgary now has Sharangovich under team control for the next six seasons, which will likely be the most fruitful period of his NHL career, and there’s a decent chance he’ll still be around when this team starts to turn the corner in its new arena.

Sharangovich already exceeded the expectations of most fans when he led the Flames with 31 goals in 2023-24. That said, he still has room to grow as a player. If Sharangovich is able to settle in as a more consistent playmaker — or even just as a full-time centre — without reducing his goal output, he’d make a lot of fans in Calgary even more satisfied with him than they already are.

It’d truly be something to behold if Sharangovich came in around 75 points next year. Sure, it might be a tall order, but that’s why it isn’t expected of him (yet).

Most fans likely wouldn’t be disappointed if Sharangovich scored around 25 goals and 50 points this year. From a production standpoint, there’s always a bit of room for fluctuation on a year-by-year basis, but Sharangovich reaching those minimum thresholds feels like a reasonable expectation if he remains healthy and a consistent presence in all situations.

Sharangovich scored just 13 goals and 30 points over 75 games in his final year with the Devils. If he reverts to that level in his sophomore campaign with the Flames, it’ll be a pretty big disappointment.