The New Jersey Devils got some surprising news, at least to us fans. Sixth-round pick Yegor Sharangovich signed his entry-level deal on Tuesday.
The New Jersey Devils made a very interesting pick in the sixth round of the NHL Draft this year. Yegor Sharangovich has immense upside, but there were questions about where he would play. He answered those questions pretty quickly.
Yegor Sharangovich (Dinamo Minsk, KHL) signs NHL entry level contract (2018 draft #141) with New Jersey Devils. pic.twitter.com/mFMVQtQUNM
— Dan Milstein-Hockey (@HockeyAgent1) July 17, 2018
The 20-year-old center has some work to do before he can be an NHL center, but coming to North America is indeed the correct move for his career. When players spend the beginning of their careers in the KHL, it’s hard to tell when they will come play in their team’s system. That’s no longer a worry for the Devils, as Sharangovich will likely head straight to the ECHL (or possibly the AHL if he proves himself in camp).
Sharangovich has an excellent shot, and plays in all situations. He has speed, but he isn’t out skating the best in the game. He’ll add to the Devils very good penalty kill down the line, and can even play on the power play if needed.
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His stats will not impress at first, but that’s because he was playing well over his head last season. In the KHL, he only scored four goals with eight assists in 47 games. He also managed five points in 14 games playing for team Belarus. However, when playing in the World Juniors under 20 (with other players his age), he scored three goals and five points in six games.
Sharangovich will continue Ray Shero’s push to make the Binghamton Devils that much better. In the past eight seasons, the Devils AHL affiliate made it past the first round of the postseason once. Last season, they missed the playoffs entirely. They were 25 points outside of a playoff spot. Clearly, the Devils minor league teams needed a boost.
The fact that Shero may have stolen another player in the sixth round after what Jesper Bratt has provided has to make Devils fans happy. Shero may not have done well in free agency (whether by design or not), but what he did in the draft cannot be understated. Signing Sharangovich away from the KHL continues that run of good moves.