Tyler Toffoli and the Montreal Canadiens: A Major Statement Has Emerged

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Aaron
September 9, 2023 (7:58 PM)

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The signing of Tyler Toffoli by Marc Bergevin in October 2020 was one of the best moves by the former GM in the free-agent market.

His 4-year contract valued at $17M might have given a hefty annual salary to the forward ($4.25M/year), but he certainly delivered.

However, Kent Hughes ended Toffoli's stint with the Canadiens earlier than Toffoli had anticipated. In fact, he traded him to the Calgary Flames in February 2022 in return, among other things, for Tyler Pitlick, Emil Heineman, and a 1st-round pick. This transaction marked the beginning of a new era for the Habs, as it was the first major decision by the then-new duo of Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes.

On the Spittin' Chiclets podcast at the end of last August, Toffoli reflected on his time in Montreal and, more importantly, his departure from the organization.

"We kind of decided that we wanted to give Montreal a shot, and my wife wanted to go there. I thought I was going to stay for four years. And after that first season, I thought: 'this is going to be awesome.'" - Tyler Toffoli

That confirms what we were thinking.

It's only natural that the forward enjoyed his first campaign with the club, as it culminated in a Stanley Cup Final appearance. He was indeed a cornerstone of that incredible journey. However, according to Toffoli, the following season was somewhat more challenging. This led to Marc Bergevin's firing, the hiring of Kent Hughes, and Toffoli's move to Calgary.

The former Canadien doesn't seem to harbor any bitterness about the trade and expressed that he genuinely enjoyed his time in the city.

"Webby [Shea Weber] got injured and had to stop. And Pricer [Carey Price] as well. It was as if the worst possible thing that could happen did. [...] I had good trade value, and they decided to trade me. But we enjoyed our time in Montreal. [...] The city is amazing. It was nice to walk around, and as I said, my wife loved it. We walked everywhere, every day, all over Old Montreal and Griffintown."

- Tyler Toffoli

In 89 regular-season games with the Canadiens, Toffoli tallied 37 goals, 33 assists, totaling 70 points. He added 14 points in 22 playoff games with the Montreal team.

The forward will start the next season, which will be the last year of his contract signed with Marc Bergevin in 2020, in the New Jersey Devils' uniform. He was traded again last June 27th for Yegor Sharangovich and a 3rd-round pick in 2023.

With his surprisingly new team, he'll aim to surpass his best career season from last year when he accumulated 34 goals and 73 points in 82 games.