Tyler Toffoli has signed a four-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens worth an annual average of $4.25 million. It’s a very team-friendly deal considering speculation was that Toffoli might be looking to get north of $5.5 or $6 million and walked away from the Vancouver Canucks, who he was said to be happy to talk long-term deal with.
Reports surfaced late on Thursday that despite hearing Toffoli was headed to market, it was best not to rule out a return to Vancouver. After all, the Canucks didn’t want him to go, but the ask was “reportedly” too big and the salary cap situation too tight in Vancouver to make it work. As a result, the point-producing forward hit the free agent market on Friday and eventually signed with the Canadiens on Monday.
It’s not surprising the news came quickly after Taylor Hall chose the Buffalo Sabres. There were many teams waiting and the expectation was forwards might start coming off the board as soon as Hall made his choice.
The LA Kings and Canucks both know how good a scorer Toffoli can be. He was moved the Canucks for a pretty penny and in the 10 games he played for the Canucks, he was a point per game player with six goals. Even though his time was short, he was quite effective. As a result, the Canucks had him high on their priority list to stick around.
One has to wonder how things fell apart when you consider what Toffoli just signed for.
What the Canadiens Are Getting in Toffoli
The money is more than fair and the return should be strong. In the right situation, Toffoli will score at least 20 goals and he’ll get a ton of opportunity in Montreal. He’s got a track record of staying healthy and at 28 years old, he wasn’t going to be nearly the same kind of risk as some other players.
Next: Best of the Rest: Who Is Still Available In 2020 NHL Free Agency?
