Article Written by Dan Adkisson
In October, the Montreal Canadiens announced that they had agreed to a four-year deal with free agent Tyler Toffoli. The $17 million USD deal comes with an annual salary cap hit of $4.25 million and leaves the Canadiens with almost no salary cap space remaining.
Montreal Suits Toffoli
Standing 6-feet tall and 197 pounds, the young forward produced a stat line of 24-20-44 in 68 games last season; which is certainly one of the reasons the Canadiens wanted his signature on a contract. Toffoli himself feels that playing in Montreal is a good decision, not only for his playing career but also for his family.
The Canadiens signed Toffoli as an unrestricted free agent after the Vancouver Canucks had previously acquired him from Los Angeles in exchange for prospect Tyler Madden, a second-round pick in this year’s NHL Draft, and a fourth-round pick in 2022. Toffoli ended his three-year, $13.8 million USD contract on a high with the Vancouver Canucks, posting two goals and two assists in seven playoff games. He also managed 6-4-10 totals in 10 regular-season games in Vancouver. One particular statistic that the Canadiens will like is that Toffoli scored five goals last season on the power play, something the Canadiens had problems with last season.
A National Sport with Online Casino Popularity
Ice hockey is more than just a sport in Canada, it is more an integral part of the country’s identity. One reason is, of course, the weather, but it’s also that Canada loves the game. As well as watching the game, you will also find fans betting on ice hockey with the best Canadian casinos online using an Online-Casinos CA portal. By comparison, the U.S. has other sports that have ingrained themselves in their culture, such as baseball and basketball. This will always make it hard for other sports to get a foothold, yet hockey remains a favorite of bettors on both sides of the border.
Toffoli Bring Consistency
When you look at the career of Toffoli, you will see that the right-winger has stayed relatively consistent throughout his time in the NHL. Originally selected by Los Angeles in the second round of the 2010 NHL Draft, not only has he hit the 20-goal mark three times in eight seasons, but he also scored 31 goals with the Kings in the 2015-16 season. Overall, in 525 NHL regular-season-games, Toffoli has produced 145-155-300 totals, including 7-7-14 in 26 playoff games to help the Kings clinch the Stanley Cup in 2014.
Seven Fun Facts About Toffoli
- Toffoli owns a Stanley Cup ring after his win with the LA Kings in 2014. He also set a new Kings playoff record that year, scoring 14 points in 26 games.
- In 2020, he became the first player in NHL history to score a hat-trick during an outdoor game. It powered the Kings to a 3-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche.
- In his first NHL season (2013-14), Toffoli was tied for first among all rookies with five goal-winning games. His plus-21 rating also placed him fourth on the list of all first-year players.
- Toffoli’s goal scoring continued in the 2014-15 season when he set a team record with four shorthanded goals in 18 games. He ended the season with 23 goals for 49 points.
- Toffoli’s was married in Hawaii in 2018.
- As well as the NHL, Toffoli was also drafted into the KHL. However, he was unaware at the time of the selection into the junior draft. The KHL junior draft began in 2009, with anyone between the ages of 17 and 21 being eligible as long as they don’t have an existing contract in any Russian hockey league.
- During the 2012-13 AHL season, Toffoli was awarded the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL’s top rookie. He managed to score 28 goals and posted 51 points in 58 games.
If Toffoli can maintain the kind of form that he has established over the years, then he will certainly be a big asset to the Canadiens and their push for the playoffs next season.
FILE UNDER: Dan Adkisson, Contributing Author