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The Calgary Flames have been after another top-6 scoring winger – ideally on the right side – for what feels like forever.
There just so happens to be a very good one available on the trade market. Tyler Toffoli is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July and the expectation is he’ll be moved by the 27th-seeded Los Angeles Kings.
Craig Custance of The Athletic speculated the Flames could be a potential landing spot for the 27-year-old winger. Excerpt below.
2. Tyler Toffoli, Los Angeles Kings – One executive said the expected asking price on Toffoli is a second-round pick and a prospect, which might make Toffoli more appealing for teams cringing at the idea of moving a first for a rental. “(It) is pretty reasonable,” he said. “They’ll get it.” It’d be easy to see the Flames inquiring after missing out on Hall.
Despite Calgary’s horrendous start to the season they are only one point out of top spot in what is a wide open Pacific Division. Secondary scoring is perhaps their biggest concern right now and Toffoli would go a long way towards addressing it.
His numbers (27 points in 45 games) don’t pop off the page, per se, but he is quietly having a strong offensive season. Particularly at 5v5.
Toffoli is averaging .98 goals per 60. That’s equal to Kyle Connor’s output, and better than that of Patrice Bergeron, Rickard Rakell, Andrei Svechnikov, Mark Scheifele, and Brock Boeser to name but a few.
He isn’t just a scorer, though. He produces points as a whole at a very efficient clip. Toffoli is averaging 2.18 points per 60, which is more than Mark Stone, Mathew Barzal, Evgenii Dadonov, Blake Wheeler, and Brady Tkachuk, among many others. Unsurprisingly, that number is several steps above the next closest player on the Kings (or Flames).
As if the production – which the Flames could very much use – is not enough, Toffoli’s on-ice numbers and relative impact on possession, chances, etc. is very strong and has been for years.
Toffoli won’t just put up points. He’ll help tilt the ice in his team’s favor.
I think he is *exactly* the kind of player the Flames are desperate for. If the asking price really is as reasonable as rumored, I think the Flames should happily pay up (and try to extend him when it expires).
numbers via the great naturalstattrick.com
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