Montreal Canadiens Trade Tyler Toffoli To Calgary

The Montreal Canadiens made their first official big hockey move under the Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes regime. Montreal traded Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a first-round pick in 2022 that is top 10 protected, a fifth-round pick in 2024, Tyler Pitlick and prospect Emil Heineman.

Full deal is #Flames get Toffoli from #Habs for 2022 1st round pick (Top 10 protected), 2024 5th round pick, Tyler Pitlick and prospect Emil Heineman.#Flames clear enough cap space with Pitlick’s $1.75 million coming off the books, no need for help/retain.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 14, 2022

In addition, the Canadiens were able to make this deal because of Toffoli not having any trade protection. Not to mention Montreal did not need to retain any salary. With the Flames sending Pitlick’s $1.75 million to Montreal, the Flames cleared enough cap space to fit in Toffoli’s $4.25 million cap hit.

Over the weekend, in Full Press Hockey’s Rumors report, we had mentioned the Flames having an interest in Toffoli. Not just because Toffoli would be reuniting with head coach Darryl Sutter, whom Toffoli played under in Los Angeles, but the Flames desperately need secondary scoring. Granted Calgary is rolling right now, but having a pure goal scorer to go along with Matthew Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau, and Andrew Mangiapane will help the Flames. In addition, Toffoli has shown he can make an impact come the playoffs.

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Both times his teams went to the Stanley Cup Final, winning once in 2014 with the Los Angeles Kings, and in 2021 with the Montreal Canadiens, Tyler Toffoli registered 14 points in those runs. And scoring big-time goals in the process.

With Toffoli being in the second year of a four-year deal he signed prior to the 2020-21 season, the Flames will not only have him for this year’s playoff run but two more after that. Toffoli has 26 points (nine goals and 17 assists) in 37 games this season. It will be interesting to see where Sutter uses Toffoli going forward in the lineup. Calgary has won six games in a row prior to the trade.

“He is a proven scorer in the league,” Flames general manager Brad Treliving said of bringing in Toffoli. “He can touch every part of the game — 5-on-5, powerplay, penalty kill, and with the pedigree that he had I think he is going to be a great addition to our team.”

Treliving knows it will be a smooth transition for Toffoli and he will be a great fit for the team especially the term remaining on his deal. Toffoli will be in Calgary tonight, and it will be up to Sutter to see if Toffoli gets into the lineup.

On the Montreal side of things, Gorton and Hughes get a nice haul for a good player as they look to rebuild the Canadiens in their image. Not only do they get a 1st in this year’s draft but a depth in Tyler Pitlick, who is in the final year of his contract. Plus a nice prospect in Heineman.

This is just the first of many moves the Canadiens will be making prior to and at the trade deadline.