Tyler Toffoli won a Stanley Cup wth the Los Angeles Kings in his rookie season in 2014, and almost a decade later, the club could be looking to reunite with the now New Jersey Devils forward ahead of the Mar. 8 NHL Trade Deadline.
Kings general manager Rob Blake has been exploring the market for a scoring winger after losing key forward Adrian Kempe to injury. It’s feared the Swede suffered a long-term ailment that will force him out for at least the rest of the regular-season.
With cap space to work with if Kempe goes on LTIR, Blake is looking to bring Toffoli back to the place where he spent the first eight seasons of his career, according to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta.
“Blake started exploring the league after forward Adrian Kempe went down with an injury on Monday and had an MRI on Tuesday to properly assess the extent of his injury. If Kempe is out for the rest of the regular-season, the Kings plan on using his $5.5 million cap hit to add a scorer up front,” said the hockey insider.
“The Devils currently sit five points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and are also hoping to sign Toffoli to an extension. Failing that, and any traction towards a post-season seed, New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald could entertain the possibility of moving Toffoli.”
New Jersey is struggling in 2023-24, currently five points back of the final wildcard berth in what is shaping up to be an ultra-competitive Eastern Conference playoff race.
If the Devils can’t climb closer to a spot, it would make sense for Fitzgerald to at least take calls on the 31-year-old. The RW is up to 25 goals and 42 points in 58 games after an excellent 2022-23 campaign that saw him score 73 points in 82 games with the Calgary Flames.
Tyler Toffoli still a standout top-six player
Toffoli is playing out the final season of a four-year, $17 million contract he signed with the Devils; he’ll be an unrestricted free agent on Jul. 1. His deal doesn’t include any no-trade protection.
The next week or so will go a long way in helping the Devils’ front office decide whether or not to trade Toffoli, but the postseason hopes are not encouraging in Newark. And he could be a huge help to a contender come the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Although the Kings are certainly a top option for Tyler Toffoli, especially considering Kempe’s injury, there will be a ton of interest around the league if he’s made available.
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