Canucks: What does Tyler Toffoli bring to the team?

The Vancouver Canucks traded for Tyler Toffoli from the Los Angeles Kings. What does he bring to the Canucks as the team prepares for the final grind?

As usual, Vancouver Canucks fans (particularly on Twitter) were divided when the team acquired veteran forward Tyler Toffoli from the Los Angeles Kings on Monday in exchange for Tim Schaller, prospect Tyler Madden and a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL draft.

I like Toffoli, but I was also excited about Madden as a player. It’s concerning that Vancouver could be without a pick in the first two rounds. That’s all for another day, however. I’m here to take a look at what Toffoli can bring to the Canucks.

The case for Toffoli: Eye test

The veteran Toffoli is a highly-skilled winger with a nice scoring touch. He has a quick release on his shot, and Toffoli is a capable 20-goal scorer, having reached the mark three times in his career. This includes a personal best 31 in the 2015-16 season. Toffoli is a good skater who can play on both special teams units.

He played a vital part in the Kings’ 2014 Stanley Cup championship team. He was part of the ’70s Line’ with Jeff Carter and current Canuck Tanner Pearson. With that, two-thirds of the dominant line are reunited here in Vancouver.

More from The Canuck Way

• Which team won the Bo Horvat trade?
• What to expect from newcomers Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Räty
• Back to the future: How the skate uniforms became a regular Canucks’ feature night
• Canucks kick off 2023 with disappointing 6-2 loss to Islanders
• 2nd period penalty trouble sinks Canucks in 4-2 loss against Winnipeg

Toffoli would look solid with Pearson and captain Bo Horvat. For quite some time now, fans and pundits have been begging for wingers to play with Horvat and Pearson. Toffoli will hopefully fill out that role.

Toffoli could slot in on the power play, perhaps replacing the injured Brock Boeser on the first unit. Vancouver should also give him some looks on the penalty killing unit. Toffoli arrives from a team that was extremely focused on defence first under former head coach Darryl Sutter, after all.

The case for Toffoli: Stats

As mentioned above, Toffoli can score goals. He enters Wednesday 18 goals and 34 points in 58 games with the Kings.

He has matched his point total from last season. In his last game as a King, he made NHL history as he scored the first hat trick in an outdoor game. He was also named the NHL’s third star of the week just hours before getting traded. Acquiring a reliable 20-goal and 40-point player was a smart move on the Canucks’ end.

The analytics also tell us just how impactful Toffoli has been this year.. This season he has a 57.6 Corsi For percentage, and a career CF percentage of 55.9.

This season, Toffoli has recorded a superb 56.54 SF percentage and a 50.88 GF percentage, via Natural Stat Trick. And when he was on the ice in Los Angeles, Toffoli had a 56.93 High Danger Scoring Chances For percentage of 56.93.

Conclusion

The Canucks are getting a consistent and productive player in Toffoli. He is someone who could fit in well in their top-six.

His goal scoring and two-way play are what the Canucks need for their postseason push. Let’s hope he can recreate the chemistry he had with Pearson and hopefully become a force wherever he’s used.