Tyler Toffoli Out 8 Weeks, Trade Rumors Surround Player

According to Jeff Marek of Sportsnet, Tyler Toffoli might not want to go through a rebuild in Montreal and with the news that he’ll now be out for eight weeks after surgery to repair a hand injury, he’ll have plenty of time to think about his future with the team and watch from the sidelines as the major organizational changes are being made.

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Marek writes, “Much like [Brendan] Gallagher, if the Habs go the teardown and rebuild model, does Toffoli want to be part of it at this stage of his career? This is not what he signed up for when he joined the Habs.” The suggestion here is that Toffoli signed with the Canadiens as a free agent — and took less than many figured he could earn on the open market — because the Canadiens were going to be a strong team. In his first season, they were, going all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals and losing out to the Tampa Bay Lightning. This season, things have dramatically changed.

The Canadiens have struggled mightily. The GM has been fired and Jeff Gorton has come in as Vice President of Hockey Operations and is searching for a new manager. The team might shed a number of pieces and players like defenseman Ben Chiarot are sure to be moved. Toffoli has two seasons left on his current deal after this year at a cost of $4.25 million per season. It’s a moveable contract that could fetch the Canadiens something decent in return.

What Does Toffoli Want?

It’s hard to know why Toffoli signed with the Canadiens and Marek’s suggestion that this may not be what he signed up for is probably just speculation. However, Toffoli isn’t young. At 29 years of age, he’ll be 32 when his deal expires and while that’s not too old to get another contract, it might be too old to hit a home run on another extension and he may want to find a home with a team that isn’t about to take the long road to be a successful team again.

At the very least, the Canadiens will be looking at a trade as an option. Toffoli has no trade protection in his contract. If the Canadiens get an offer they like, there’s nothing stopping them from doing a deal.

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