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Toronto Maple Leafs Should Bring Tyler Toffoli Home

By Jeremy Ridgewell |
BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 10: Tyler Toffoli #73 of the Calgary Flames skates against the Boston Bruins during the third period at the TD Garden on November 10, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins won 3-1. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 10: Tyler Toffoli #73 of the Calgary Flames skates against the Boston Bruins during the third period at the TD Garden on November 10, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins won 3-1. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)

If the Toronto Maple Leafs’ new general manager Brad Treliving wants to shake things up this off-season, he should trade for Tyler Toffoli. The Scarborough, Ontario native would look good in Toronto blue and white.

Treliving traded for Toffoli in 2022 when he was the GM of the Calgary Flames. Now is the perfect opportunity to bring him to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He could be the perfect fit for the Leafs top six. Toffoli registered 34 goals and 39 assists for 73 points in 82 games last season. The Leafs need secondary scoring, and Toffoli gives them that. (Stats from hockey-reference.com)

Another reason why adding Toffoli makes sense is his style of play. He’s not considered a “heavy hitter,” but he plays hard. The 31-year-old will go to the dirty areas and battle for loose pucks. He’s only averaged over 18 minutes of ice time once in his career, so his best fit with the Leafs would be on the second line with John Tavares.

Toffoli is a right-winger, so the Toronto Maple Leafs would need to shift Nylander to the left side, which he’s played before and shouldn’t be an issue. The Leafs would have a well-balanced top six consisting of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Nylander, Toffoli, and one of either Matthew Knies or Calle Jarnkrok.

Toronto Maple Leafs Have Options to Explore

The Leafs have shown interest in re-signing Ryan O’Reilly if they can find a dollar amount that works for their salary cap.

Failing to re-sign O’Reilly could open the door for Toronto to trade for Toffoli. I would like to see them have both, but that might be asking too much. Toffoli has a cap hit of $4.25 million, and O’Reilly could be seeking something similar.
(Salary cap info from capfriendly.com)

Other players from the Calgary Flames that Treliving might consider bringing to the Leafs are Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Like Toffoli, Lindholm, and Hanifin are in the final year of their contract. Hanifin has a cap hit of $4.95 million, and Lindholm has a cap hit of $4.85 million.

Lindholm is a 28-year-old center who registered 22 goals and 42 assists for 64 points in 80 games last season. Hanifin is a 26-year-old defenseman who registered seven goals and 31 assists for 38 points in 81 games.

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Hanifin would solidify the Leafs defense, while Lindholm would give them secondary scoring and added depth at center.

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