Nov 6, 2019
Toffoli likely to become available at deadline
It appears Tyler Toffoli could be headed to the trade block. According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, the Los Angeles Kings are leaning against extending the 27-year-old forward and could instead look to move him ahead of the trade deadline.
TSN.ca Staff
It appears Tyler Toffoli could be headed to the trade block.
According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, the Los Angeles Kings are leaning against extending the 27-year-old forward and could instead look to move him ahead of the trade deadline.
"Another pending unrestricted free agent is Tyler Toffoli of the Los Angeles Kings," LeBrun said on Insider Trading Tuesday. "He’s only 27 years old and you wonder where he fits into this Kings rebuild. And it is a rebuild; the Kings are going to turn this roster over big time over the next couple of years. At this time, and it could change, I don’t believe the Kings are thinking they’re going to re-sign Toffoli. I do believe he’ll be made available for a trade closer to the Feb. 24 Trade Deadline.
"He was a healthy scratch recently and his numbers dipped last year, but he is a former 30-goal scorer and three-time 20-goal scorer. Of course, if you’re Toffoli, and getting moved is going to be the case, probably sooner rather than later is better so you can go somewhere else and boost your numbers in a contract year."
Toffoli has three goals and seven points in 14 games this season, the final year of a three-year contract he signed with the Kings in 2017. He carries a $4.6 million cap hit, which is fifth-highest among Kings forwards.
The Scarborough, Ont., native scored a career-high 31 goals in 2015-16 and has topped 20 goals in two additional seasons, most recently in 2017-18 when he scored 24. Toffoli scored 13 goals and posted 34 points in 82 games last season, his lowest totals since appearing in 62 games with the Kings in 2013-14.
A second-round draft pick of Los Angeles in 2010, Toffoli has spent his entire career with the Kings.
With Tuesday's loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Kings dropped to 5-10-0 on the season.