The Calgary Flames aren’t in a great spot right now with many of their top players who are eligible to re-sign on July 1 not committing to the team. It has already been reported that Tyler Toffoli is on the trade block and that means a number of teams will be calling to check in on the price to acquire him.
The free agent class of wingers is better than centermen and defencemen this year, so that might impact his value slightly. But due to Toffoli’s 2022-23 season and his very nice cap hit, he won’t come cheap to acquire. There’s not much use for the Flames to keep him through next season as it might turn out similar to how it did this season, and then they would lose him in free agency for nothing. The best course of action is to look at all the options and deal him now. There is already a lot of movement around the league trade-wise already, so teams are not waiting to get work done on their rosters. Let’s look at three teams Toffoli could end up with this summer.
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are tight against the cap, but desperately need a scorer for their right wing. They have no proven scorers who play that side of the ice with Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere both set to play in the top-six next season, both who shoot left. First off, Toffoli shoots right and has been scoring in the NHL for many years. He is also a two-time 30-goal scorer and seven-time 20-goal scorer, plus he’s coming off a career year.
Tom Castro of The Hockey Writers doesn’t believe that the Rangers will trade the 2023 first-round pick they kept at the trade deadline this season, and with no second-rounder this year, the Flames might have to look to next year or the prospect pool to get their value back for Toffoli. It remains to be seen whether they will look to rebuild or re-tool. If it’s a re-tool, they might be more inclined to take back a near NHL-ready prospect instead of just a draft pick. Assuming the Rangers finish near the top of the standings next season, their 2024 first-round pick will be later and they could look to move that. A 2024 first-round pick could do the trick since New York doesn’t have a lot of cap space to work with and the Flames potentially retaining salary will drive up the price.
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are also in the market for scoring help and have much more cap space to utilize than most teams planning on competing for a playoff spot in 2023-24. The team is young and there’s not a ton of proven players in their forward group. It remains to be seen what they do with Filip Zadina and Robby Fabbri can’t seem to stay healthy, potentially eliminating two options for the team’s top-nine. Toffoli can generally stay in the lineup as he’s missed less than 15 games over the past six seasons.
Related: Flames’ Potential Roster Collapse Could Benefit the Canadiens
The Red Wings weren’t amazing on the power play this season, but they also weren’t bad. They could certainly use a bit more scoring and help on the power play as well as five-on-five, and Toffoli can provide that. He scored 10 goals and 25 points on the power-play and added 24 goals and 48 points at even strength. The Red Wings are not short on assets depending on what the Flames are looking to get back for their winger. I assume Toffoli would fit in nicely in the top-six and move Lucas Raymond or David Perron over to the other side. Detroit is also a team that could look to extend him right away.
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are one of those teams who will always be looking for scoring, but with their system, it is hard for players who are acquired to maintain the level they were at before joining the team. That being said, adding scoring certainly helps and Toffoli is the exact type of player that Lou Lamiorello should be looking to acquire this offseason. He is affordable, especially when they move Josh Bailey‘s contract out, and there is a spot available for the Flames’ winger in the top-six.
If the top line is loaded up, then Brock Nelson surely needs some help on his wing and Toffoli’s 34-goal, 73-point season is definitely attractive for that spot in the Islanders’ lineup. He would fit in very well as he’s a two-way player who’s versatile and can play in all situations. While the team is trying to navigate an Oliver Wahlstrom bridge deal, they are also looking to possibly bring back Pierre Engvall and Zach Parise, so there’s not a ton of cap space to work with. Cap retention by the Flames is an option, but the prospect pool of the Islanders isn’t that rich. Bailey will have to be moved out, but Toffoli seems to be a great match for a team that likes two-way talent and is trying to win a Stanley Cup.
Craig Conroy and the Flames are going to be busy and Toffoli should be seen as good as gone at this point. The hope now is the direction of the team becomes more clear. Do the Flames go into a rebuild or try to salvage what they can get from their player who wants out, restructure their team, and push for a playoff spot next season? There are a number of intriguing questions that should be answered soon enough.
