Every year in the offseason there are players you wished your favorite team would have acquired. You see the term and the dollar figures and wonder why couldn’t my team do that? Sure, there are many variables players consider when signing with a certain team/city, but usually the gap between what teams are offering isn’t as wide like the Grand Canyon.

For me a player that went by the wayside for the Penguins this offseason was Tyler Toffoli. The Canadiens landed him on a four-year deal worth 4.25M per year. I think the Penguins could have been competitive with a similar deal the player would have feasibly considered. Problem was the Penguins weren’t positioned to make a run at any mid-tier free agent. It was a consequence of some of their previous roster moves.

If the Penguins had the necessary cap flexibility they could have been in the running. Montreal is no closer to being a true contender the next four years than the Penguins. Taxes in Pennsylvania are more advantageous than Quebec. Penguins have more intriguing line combinations to offer.

When you look at the Penguins roster things are thin on the right side after trading Hornqvist, whether he was in decline or not. Kasperi Kapanen is being leaned upon heavily as a top six option instead of the fringe top six option he likely is. Adding Toffoli would have improved depth and the Penguins would have had options in how they constructed their lines.

Toffoli has always done great from an expected goals total. His finishing ability has underperformed compared to expected goals, but playing with Crosby and Malkin would help those two centers do their thing and that is never a bad thing.





The Penguins weren’t well equipped heading into free agency to spend on a player like Toffoli. It was a big error to position themselves as limited as they were in the buyer’s market. Tyler Toffoli is one of the players that I think could have really helped with the Penguins depth and improved their ability to be Cup contenders again.

Who do you wish your team acquired?

Thanks for reading!

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