20 Fantasy Thoughts: Sharangovich continues to thrive under difficult circumstances

There’s been plenty of debate about whether the Calgary Flames got enough in return for all the talented players they’ve moved in the past year, but one thing is undeniable, Yegor Sharangovich has been an incredible find.  

Sharangovich came over in the Tyler Toffoli deal last summer, something I’m sure Flames fans weren’t overly excited about at the time. He was a middle-six winger that topped out at 46 points in his best season as a New Jersey Devil, so you could understand fans’ trepidation. Not even a year later, though, Sharangovich has thrived at centre and already has 28 goals and set a new career high in points with a month still left to play in the season. Going from wing to centre is a real challenge, but Sharangovich has handled it almost seamlessly.  

What’s most exciting about Sharangovich from a fantasy perspective is that he’s been able to excel despite Calgary clearly re-tooling and selling off assets. Even though the team has lost Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin in the past month or so, Sharangovich just keeps rolling along, scoring eight goals in his past nine games. He’s also put together an impressive campaign despite Jonathan Huberdeau having a pretty pedestrian season and a very slow start to the year from Nazem Kadri.  

Sharangovich has had every excuse to struggle in 2023-24 and he’s delivered way above expectations.

1. Many were not happy with the return for Noah Hanifin, but the Flames appear keen on giving Daniil Miromanov plenty of opportunities. They immediately signed him to a contract extension and put him on power play one, and Miromanov has a pair of goals since the promotion. Calgary has dealt half its defence corps this season, so someone like Miromanov might be able to pile up some points down the stretch.  

2. Dustin Wolf has had back-to-back stellar starts in Jacob Markstrom’s absence. The Flames have been pretty tight-lipped about Markstrom’s injury, so it remains to be seen when he'll return to the crease. We’ve seen examples of goalies getting a chance late in a season for teams on the playoff bubble and catch fire, with Alex Lyon coming to mind last year in Florida. Does Wolf have it in him to do the same? He would be an intriguing option for a goalie-needy fantasy squad heading into the playoffs.  

3. Not an ideal time for Pavel Buchnevich to go through his worst cold stretch of the season. Buchnevich has one assist in eight games as the St. Louis Blues try to stay relevant in the standings. There have been instances in the past where maybe a player thought he would be moved to a contender at the deadline, only to remain with a mediocre team and finish in a funk. Buchnevich is still on power play one and should hopefully be able to pull himself out of this to have value in the fantasy playoffs.  

4. There were two instances last weekend of shared shutouts that I know cost at least a few in their fantasy matchups. Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith shared one when Demko left a game against the Winnipeg Jets with an injury, and the same thing happened to Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner. Pickard’s was especially painful, as he only left the game briefly for a concussion spotter and stopped all 41 shots he faced. Skinner didn’t even face a shot.  

Shared shutouts don’t count as a shutout in fantasy for either goalie, which is frustrating if your league has them as a category. Often times, a single shutout can win the category, so when you have a performance like Pickard’s that’s nullified, it’s a huge missed opportunity.

5. Very quietly, Daniil Tarasov is having a nice finish to the season. The Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender has now posted eight quality starts in a row, with seven of those games coming in at .923 or better. They haven’t been easy games, either. Three of them were against Edmonton, Vegas and Carolina. Tarasov will likely be the Blue Jackets' No. 1 next year and a Zero G candidate, but how good will the team be in front of him? 

6. Alex Nylander now has eight goals and 11 points in 11 games since joining the Blue Jackets, with at least four shots in four straight. He’s taken over Jack Roslovic’s spot on the top line with Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner, and he looks very comfortable there.  

7. Casey DeSmith would be a good pick-up for this upcoming week with Thatcher Demko injured. The Vancouver Canucks play Buffalo, Montreal and Calgary all at home. It’s unclear how long Demko will be out beyond that, but if your playoffs start next week, DeSmith could be a nice find in net.  

8. A nice bounce back from Thomas Harley, who has three points in two games. Harley had just a single point in his previous 11, and his shot volume had really slowed down. Harley is still playing with Miro Heiskanen on the top pair, but his minutes have taken a small hit since Tanev’s arrival. Harley has played less than 20 minutes twice since Tanev was acquired, something he’s done only one other time since Dec. 29. I don’t think that alone is the problem, as it’s very possible Harley just hit a wall in his first full season in the NHL. I’d try to hang onto him if you can, especially if you’re in a deep keeper league.  

9. Jake Oettinger is having a very unpredictable season. He’s struggled to find much consistency and March has been his worst stretch yet. Oettinger is sporting a .836 save percentage this month, which includes giving up six in one game to the San Jose Sharks. If you’re concerned about Oettinger heading into the fantasy playoffs, at least the Dallas Stars have a pretty friendly schedule. Dallas plays Arizona, Pittsburgh, Arizona and San Jose in its next four games. It doesn’t get much better than that, and you’d have to think Oettinger should be able to navigate those opponents with reasonable success.  

10. Pavel Zacha has been bumped up to the top line again with David Pastrnak and has taken advantage with 10 points in his past eight games. Despite being just 41 per cent rostered, Zacha remains a very valuable asset in leagues that count faceoff wins.

11. Igor Shesterkin is starting to find his game again. He has three shutouts in his past 11 starts, owns a .924 save percentage in March and posted a .953 in February. It was a really inconsistent first half of the year for Shesterkin, and he even lost a start or two at one point to Jonathan Quick. However, there’s always value in hanging onto goalies of his calibre. Fortunately for you if you stuck it out, Shesterkin’s heater is coming at the perfect time. 

12. The Buffalo Sabres play four times next week, making Bowen Byram a shrewd pick-up. He’s had two multi-point games already for the Sabres and is getting monster minutes next to Rasmus Dahlin and good power-play time.

It might be a good time to look at Tarasov as well if you need help in goal. Columbus doesn’t have the easiest schedule, but a Tuesday matchup with Detroit might be worth a shot if Tarasov gets the start. The Red Wings had been really struggling before a win on Saturday. 

The Carolina Hurricanes also play four times, which could mean Evgeny Kuznetsov is worth streaming. He’s playing on the top power play and with Jake Guentzel at even strength.  

13. If there was ever a time for that Kevin Garnett “anything is possible” meme, it was when Connor Brown scored his first goal of the season. Brown finally found the back of the net five months into the campaign after starting the season on Connor McDavid’s wing. He’s now skating with Adam Henrique and Evander Kane, which isn’t the worst spot to be in, but I think the ship has sailed for Brown’s fantasy value this season.  

14. Four points in three games now for Anthony Duclair since joining the Tampa Bay Lightning. Duclair seems rejuvenated on a much better team and is playing with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov on Tampa’s top line. I think Duclair will have some value the rest of the way.  

15. Something just doesn’t seem right with Jack Hughes. He put up a goose egg the other night across all categories despite the New Jersey Devils scoring six goals. Hughes only has two shots in his past three games and doesn’t look anywhere near as dominant as he did earlier in the season. I wonder if he’s not quite 100 per cent and came back a little earlier from his most recent injury with the Devils fighting for a playoff spot.  

16. Don’t look now but Fabian Zetterlund has seven points in his past six games. The San Jose Sharks winger has also played over 20 minutes in four straight contests. There’s value in players from bad teams getting a featured role to close out the season, and Zetterlund may fit that bill. 

17. The Toronto Maple Leafs are dealing with injuries in their top six, as Mitch Marner and now Calle Jarnkrok, are sidelined. That opens the door for Nick Robertson and Pontus Holmberg to be streamers since the Maple Leafs play four times next week. Robertson might be the most interesting option, as he’s scoring at close to a 20-goal pace despite being in and out of the lineup this year.  

18. The trade of Henrique and all the injuries to the Anaheim Ducks' forward group is starting to hurt Frank Vatrano. He hasn’t scored in seven straight games, and the Ducks have been shut out in back-to-back outings. Vatrano still has the shot volume, but I’m not sure how much value he’ll have playing with Brett Leason and Isac Lundestrom. 

19. Petr Mrazek is a tempting option next week. I know it’s a gamble given the state of the Chicago Blackhawks, but Mrazek has been very solid this year, and Anaheim and San Jose are on the schedule.  

20. Lots of folks are asking me about TJ Oshie as a streamer next week now that he’s on the top line with Alex Ovechkin. I see the appeal, especially since the Washington Capitals play Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, making him easy to work into a crowded lineup. My fear is always the injury risk with Oshie, and he was a game-time decision already on Saturday with an issue. With waiver moves at a premium in many leagues at this time of year, you must make them count.