Outside of a few players this season, the Calgary Flames have a hard time finding big performances from the players on their roster to start this season. Dustin Wolf, Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar are masking a lot of the Flames issues while a number of players on the roster are still trying to find their game.
Yegor Sharangovich was extended in the offseason to a hefty contract that will kick in at the beginning of next season after a strong season a year ago in his first season in Calgary. However, this season has not started well at all for Sharangovich, and if the Flames have any hope of continuing to win games, he has to be much, much better.
A horrendous start to the season
As I mentioned above, Sharangovich had an impressive first season as a Flame last year, he recorded career-highs in both goals and points and was one of the few bright spots on the team. He was rewarded with a five-year contract extension on July 1, and that deal could not be looking any worse right now.
Sharangovich began the year with an injury that he sustained in the preseason that sidelined him. Since coming back, he has two goals in 12 games and is on pace for only 13 points this season—not great! While I think the puck will start going in for him eventually, he has not really been doing too much to get involved in the offence.
His underlying numbers at even strength have not been as good as they were last year, and while the Flames as a whole have been awful at even strength this season, Sharangovich’s play has not been inspiring. He has not been involved, he has been getting lost in the games way too much, and he is not shooting the puck nearly enough. Ryan Huska has been giving him plenty of offensive zone starts, playing him on the top power play unit, and has been playing him a ton, and Sharangovich has been getting shelled at even strength. It has not been fun to watch after the way he played a season ago.
Will Sharangovich get going?
It would be in the best interest of both the team and the player if Sharangovich became more noticeable on a nightly basis. The team has been outscored and outplayed with him on the ice this season, and when the team just committed a boatload of money and term to him, they need him to be a good player, he just has to be.
Throughout his career, and even last season, Sharangovich has never been the strongest possession player at even strength. Throughout his time in New Jersey, he spent a lot of time with Jack Hughes as his centre, and last season he got caved in quite a bit. If it wasn’t for a spike in shooting percentage, he probably would not have touched the 30-goal mark.
Now, he did start the season very slow a year ago, and I will try to give him the benefit of the doubt that he may still be trying to get his legs underneath him from the injury he sustained in the preseason. However, it has been 12 games, and there still has been no improvement on his front. Too many times already this season, he has not made an impact and has been a detriment to the team more often than not. At some point, if he starts using his shot more, the puck will go in. But he has to start moving his feet and getting to the net to make it happen—he is simply not doing that right now.
The Flames’ offence needs Sharangovich to be at his best
The Flames are obviously in tough-to-find-goals this year. They have one player on pace for more than 50 points this year and that is Rasmus Andersson, who is a defenceman. It is not looking great. If this team has any hope of continuing to win games and to have a shot at making the playoffs, they need Sharangovich (and the rest of the roster) to be at their best.
They extended Sharangovich for his ability to put the puck in the net, and thus far, he has not been doing that. He is the closest thing the Flames have to a pure shooter, and if he is not doing that, then he isn’t doing much in terms of helping the team when he is on the ice.
I am not singling out just Sharangovich here. Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau both need to be way better as well, but Sharangovich has been the worst of the bunch. He needs to be at his best from here on out because if he doesn’t, we could be looking at a James Neal situation here. For everyone’s sake, I really hope that is not the case.
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
