Coming into training camp, one of the main storylines was a surprising 5th-round pick from the constantly chastised 2018 NHL Draft. The New Jersey Devils only had five picks in the draft in the first place. Two of those prospects are no longer Devils’ property (Xavier Bernard and Mitchell Hoelscher). Akira Schmid is a very confusing goalie prospect (he’s actually playing very well in the USHL this season). Then, there is Ty Smith and Yegor Sharangovich.
Both these players will be in the top ten in Calder Trophy voting this season. If a few things go right, they could both end up in the top five. It’s a very surprising turnaround for a draft class that looked like a total bust (outside Smith, who’s always been a star in the making). Then, Sharangovich played in the KHL during the delay to the NHL season. He was absolutely dominant.
Sharangovich is still 29th in the league in goals in the KHL this season. He scored 17 in 34 games, which puts him fourth in the league in goals per game. This had a lot of eyes open when he joined the Devils in training camp. A 22-year-old kid who was an overage pick when he was drafted was now coming in after scoring at will in a men’s league. The KHL is the second-best league in the world, and Sharangovich was one of the best goal scorers there.
Sharangovich was only able to score 10 goals with the Binghamton Devils last season in 57 games. There wasn’t really anything that showed he’d be in the NHL one season later. Not only is he in the NHL, but he looks like he might be a legit piece to this core. He’s playing alongside Jack Hughes every single night.
With 11 goals, Sharangovich is second on the team behind Miles Wood. He’s two goals away from having 30 goals across his two professional leagues. Could this be a product of the COVID season? It seems really unlikely.
This might be who Sharangovich is. Will he be a top-six player when Alexander Holtz and Dawson Mercer hit their primes? The likely answer is no. However, to have someone on the third line who plays with skill like Sharagovich does is huge. His future is bright, and his present is really good. The Devils found a good one in the 5th round.