The New Jersey Devils set out to improve their team after completing their best regular season in franchise history. Shortly before the NHL Draft, the Devils did just that. They acquired some added scoring punch in the form of Tyler Toffoli. Now that the offseason has slowed down a bit, let's reflect a bit. How did the Devils do here? Here is a deeper look at the trade, with grades for the Devils and Calgary Flames.

Full trade

The New Jersey Devils acquired forward Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames. In return, the Flames acquired forward Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third-round pick. With the pick acquired in this trade, the Flames selected Russian forward Aydar Suniev from the BCHL's Penticton Vees.

Shortly after the trade, Sharangovich signed a two-year contract extension with the Flames. He earns a salary of $3.1 million in both seasons and will hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent in 2025.

Devils acquire Tyler Toffoli

New Jersey does incredibly well with this trade. Toffoli is coming off a career season, recording new career bests in goals (34), assists (39), and points (73) while playing the full 82 games.

If you have concerns that Toffoli could fall off, the risk here is rather minimal. He is a free agent next summer, meaning New Jersey can be free of him if things don't work out.

In New Jersey, Toffoli could play on either line in the top six. He could find time on the first line with Nico Hischier and Timo Meier. Or, he could slide down to pair with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt on the second line. Either way, he provides an all-around offensive punch no matter which line he plays on.

At the end of the day, the Devils didn't give up too much. Sharangovich has upside, but isn't a major loss for the team. And the third-round pick, belonging to the Flames originally ironically enough, is easy enough to part with. This is a great bit of business from New Jersey general manager Tom Fitzgerald.

Flames trade Tyler Toffoli

Calgary's part in this trade is much more complicated. On the surface, this is an underwhelming return. The Flames had little leverage here, as Toffoli made it known he was unlikely to stick around long-term. Calgary essentially had to get what they could to avoid losing the 31-year-old for nothing.

However, with that context in mind, I don't think the Flames did too badly here. They re-acquired a draft pick they traded away a few years ago. And they picked up a 25-year-old forward with some upside to play a bigger role. Things could have been a lot worse.

Sharangovich is not that far removed from posting 24 goals and 46 points in 76 games in 2021-22. While he took a step back this past season, he did prove the potential for a 50-point player is there. Sharangovich could easily find himself in a middle-six role with the Flames after playing on New Jersey's bottom six.

Is this trade a home run for Flames general manager Craig Conroy? No. However, I do believe there's more to like here for Calgary than most are giving them credit for.

Grades and final thoughts

The Devils receive high marks for adding offensive firepower to their lineup without paying a king's ransom for it. On the other hand, the Flames are being graded for the circumstances of their situation. Calgary had no leverage here, but still acquired an intriguing piece that could be a big part of their future.

New Jersey Devils grade: A+

Calgary Flames: B-