BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – With the COVID-19 pandemic delaying everything in the world, it seems as if the start of the 2020-21 hockey season is headed that way too. With the Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning on August 1, the NHL is definitely delayed. Some teams are already on the horn trying to make arrangements for their prospects to play somewhere else to keep growing while things are on hold in North America.
The New Jersey Devils have indeed made the call and reached out, as the Dinamo Minsk of the KHL announced that they have reached an agreement with New Jersey that allows Yegor Sharangovich to start the season with the club.
Of course, the highly talented winger is no stranger to the Belarusian streets, with Dinamo Minsk being in his hometown and already spending a season with them in 2017-18. His playmaking skills and hockey IQ impressed New Jersey in 2018 to use a fifth-round pick (141st overall) on the 22-year-old after recording four goals and seven assists for a total of 11 points in 47 games played.
Since being with the New Jersey organization, the 6’2″ forward has spent the last two seasons with the Binghamton Devils. While not getting a crack in the NHL just yet (and his offensive progression being limited), Sharangovich has managed in 57 games to net 10 goals and 15 assists last season with Binghamton — an improvement from his rookie campaign from his 17 points (9G, 8A) in 68 contests.
With the transition from a bigger sheet of ice from being over in the KHL to moving forward to North American ice, the question is if that will slow his progression again once he’s able to return to start camp with New Jersey in the future. He’ll sure need a big step forward on the final year of his entry-level deal to get an opportunity in Newark.
However, it shouldn’t hurt his chances, as he will get a opportunity to get into playing shape while the KHL season is going on. With the AHL start date still up in the air, he’ll be able to hit the ground running when camps finally open up. If the AHL season starts the around the same time as the NHL projected start date, he’ll have likely over two months of hockey games under his belt by then.
ANOTHER TALENT LOANED TO KHL
Meanwhile, other teams aren’t wasting any time sending other key prospects to the KHL, as the Philadelphia Flyers announced that Maksim Sushko will be joining Sharangovich as a member of the Dinamo Minsk. In Susko’s first professional season in North America, he recorded 11 goals and 10 assists in 53 games with the Phantoms.
Keep track of all the signings and movement during the 2020 AHL offseason by visiting our AHL Transactions page!
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