The Vancouver Canucks acquired Los Angeles Kings winger Tyler Toffoli, one of the NHL trade deadline's most sought after wingers, for a hefty price tag on Monday night. How did each GM do in the swap?
Canucks get: F Tyler Toffoli
Kings get: F Tim Schaller, F Tyler Madden, 2020 second-round pick, 2022 fourth-round pick (conditional)
Vancouver Canucks: B
The Canucks were never listed among the primary suitors for Toffoli, a rental who seemed destined to be shipped to the Eastern Conference by next Monday's trade deadline. But they are in a playoff seed, have been for most of the season and thus shouldn't be a surprise as a deadline buyer.
This is especially true now that we know why they were so aggressive in acquiring him: General manager Jim Benning said star winger Brock Boeser has a "rib cartilage fracture" that will keep him out a minimum of three weeks; and that winger Micheal Ferland, a key offseason pickup limited to 14 games this season, will miss the rest of the 2019-20 with concussion-like symptoms.
Toffoli was one of the top options in the rental market for a reason. He's a solid offensive winger having a strong rebound season. In 58 games, the 27-year-old has matched his point total (34) from last season, while he's on pace to have his best goal-scoring season since his 31-goal career high in 2015-16 and hasn't missed a game in the past three seasons. Per Evolving Hockey, he was fifth on the Kings in goals scored above average (6.0). Toffoli is a true top-six winger, and he can easily slide in with Elias Pettersson or Bo Horvat for Vancouver.
Beyond that, he has always been a reliable possession player for the Kings, consistently outpacing his teammates in shot attempt percentage at even strength. As Micah Blake McCurdy notes, he's solid on the defensive side at 5-on-5 as well:
Tyler Toffoli (traded to Vancouver) is an extremely strong play-driver at 5v5 whose hands have utterly, utterly deserted him. pic.twitter.com/eftMbcr5vQ
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) February 18, 2020
While these things can be overrated, Toffoli also brings a Stanley Cup ring with him to Vancouver, having scored 14 points in 26 playoff games during the Kings' 2014 run to the championship.
Benning hasn't been shy about paying the price for top-six forwards. He famously traded a conditional first-rounder -- now owned by the Devils -- to the Tampa Bay Lightning last summer for forward J.T. Miller. Now he ships a highly regarded prospect in Madden and a 2020 second-round pick for Toffoli. As of now, the Canucks don't have a pick in this summer's draft before the third round. While that can be addressed through another move, it's not ideal.
Toffoli is a pending unrestricted free agent, and there's a chance he could end up in Vancouver beyond this season; if so, the Canucks will ship a 2022 fourth-rounder to L.A. But it's not exactly a given. Goalie Jacob Markstrom and defenseman Chris Tanev are both unrestricted free agents, while forward Adam Gaudette, defenseman Troy Stecher and forward Jake Virtanen are all restricted free agents.
Then again, there's always a chance Toffoli could head back to Los Angeles, which he didn't want to leave, as a veteran placeholder while the team waits for its prospects to mature. Kings GM Rob Blake wouldn't comment on that scenario Monday when presented with it.
Los Angeles Kings: A
The deepest prospect pool in the Western Conference, and potentially the entire NHL, just got deeper. From ESPN's Chris Peters, who had Madden ranked as the fifth best prospect for Vancouver:
"The sophomore has been one of the top scorers in college hockey this season, with 37 points for the Northeastern Huskies, including 19 goals, which ranks third in the NCAA. The son of former Selke Trophy winner John Madden, Tyler is all about skill and can make defenders miss with excellent hands. His play away from the puck and physical strength still need to improve for him to be a more impactful pro player, but his skill level gives him a big advantage and he's improved year over year."
Kings GM Rob Blake, who played against the elder Madden during their NHL careers, is a fan of that familial connection. "His dad was definitely not easy to play against. [Tyler] has a little of that in him. He has the mentality of a former NHL player and a coach's son, in the details of the game," said Blake. "He has some high-end vision and skill. We're excited about having him in this deal."
Schaller can be a fine placeholder for the rest of the season, and obviously helped make the money work on this one.
As for the 2020 second-round pick, it's interesting: We just saw the Devils snag a first-rounder from Tampa Bay for winger Blake Coleman, yet Toffoli didn't earn one for the Kings in a trade. Perhaps that speaks to the differences in contracts; Coleman has another year left at a $1.8 million bargain rate. But more likely, it speaks to Madden's reputation as a prospect, and the fact that the Canucks didn't have a first-rounder to trade.
I asked Blake on Monday if the Kings could have gotten more had they waited a week to the Feb. 24 deadline. "You judge the market. You make your call," said Blake, who also traded defenseman Jake Muzzin to the Toronto Maple Leafs well ahead of the deadline last season. "When you put a range on what a return can be, once that's met, you move forward."
Blake heard the Canucks were willing to meet the price over the weekend, and the deal was struck. And what a weekend it was: Toffoli's final game as a King this season was a hat trick to win the Stadium Series game at Air Force.
A fitting goodbye, before a great return for the Kings.