Calgary Flames Hit Homerun with Tyler Toffoli Acquisition

The Calgary Flames made a big move on Monday by acquiring forward Tyler Toffoli from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Tyler Pitlick, a conditional first-round pick in 2022, a fifth-round pick in 2024, and prospect Emil Heineman

The Flames, who have played some strong hockey in recent weeks, are clearly prepared to go for it this season and make a push to win the Stanley Cup. Adding a player like Toffoli enables Calgary to do just that.

On the season, the 29-year-old has 26 points (nine goals and 17 assists), in 37 games with Montreal. Last season, Toffoli posted 28 goals and 44 points, as he helped the Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993.

Toffoli will be an extra weapon for the Flames as they attempt to rebound from several underwhelming seasons in recent years. He will add a scoring punch to a team that already boasts a top-ten offense, as well as the best defense in the Western Conference. His arrival will only make the Flames a more well-rounded team.

Flames win big by trading for Toffoli.

On paper, this is definitely a move that makes Calgary better, but Toffoli’s postseason success makes this move one that should give Flames fans confidence heading into the playoffs.

He won the Stanley Cup in 2014 as a member of the Los Angeles Kings, and he won that championship with head coach Darryl Sutter, who just so happens to be the bench boss in Calgary now.

That reunion will be great for Toffoli, who enjoyed the best season of his career during the 2015-2016 season while playing under Sutter. In that campaign, he tallied 31 goals, 27 assists, 58 points, and a plus-35 rating, all of which are career-highs.

Looking further at his postseason success, he helped the Vancouver Canucks reach the playoffs in 2020 after being acquired from the Kings. It was the first trip to the playoffs for Vancouver since 2015, and it marked the first time the Canucks had won a playoff series since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2011.

Obviously, that good fortune is not exclusively because of Toffoli, but his presence and ability undoubtedly bolstered that lineup. Then, of course, he helped lead the Canadiens’ miracle run to the Stanley Cup Final a season ago, the first one in nearly three decades.

Toffoli wins everywhere he goes, and he plays well while doing it. With the Flames playing as well as they are right now, this type of move has the potential to elevate Calgary to the top spot in the Pacific Division.