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Tyler Toffoli

Pacific Notes: Nyman, Toffoli, George

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After a strong first stint in the NHL, the Kraken announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned winger Jani Nyman to AHL Coachella Valley.  The 20-year-old was recalled last month and got into a dozen games with Seattle where he put up three goals and three assists in just under 14 minutes of playing time.  Nyman is in his first full season in North America and had been doing quite well with the Firebirds prior to being recalled as he had 26 goals and 15 assists in 55 outings with them.  With the Kraken’s season ending next week, Nyman will focus up on finishing strong with a Coachella Valley squad that has already locked up a spot in the playoffs, allowing his season to continue for at least a little longer.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • Sharks winger Tyler Toffoli won’t play tonight against Calgary due to a lower-body injury, relays Max Miller of The Hockey News (Twitter link). He’s listed as out day-to-day.  Toffoli has had a strong first year in San Jose, tallying 28 goals and 22 assists, good for third on the team in points while leading the way in goals.  He’s expected to accompany the club on their upcoming four-game road trip so unlike his teammate Shakir Mukhamadullin whose season is over, Toffoli should be back before the campaign comes to an end next week.
  • The Kings’ AHL affiliate in Ontario announced that Los Angeles has reassigned goaltender Carter George to the Reign. The 18-year-old was the third goalie taken at the draft last June, going late in the second round at 57th overall.  The 18-year-old played in 47 games with OHL Owen Sound this season, posting a 3.35 GAA and a .909 SV% before the Attack got eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs.  George won’t be eligible to play full-time for Ontario next season so this will just be an opportunity for him to keep skating for a bit longer and perhaps get into his first taste of professional competition.

San Jose Sharks Recall Andrew Poturalski

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The San Jose Sharks have recalled some forward depth in case Tyler Toffoli’s lower-body injury prohibits him from playing this evening. San Jose announced they’ve recalled forward Andrew Poturalski from their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.

Tonight’s contest would be Poturalski’s first NHL appearance since a two-game stretch with the Seattle Kraken last year, should he enter the lineup tonight. Including this season, Poturalski has been one of the best veteran forwards in the world for those not currently rostered in the NHL.

Since his last year with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers in the 2018-19 season, Poturalski has scored 106 goals and 359 points in 343 games split between the Checkers, San Diego Gulls, Chicago Wolves, Coachella Valley Firebirds, and Barracuda, respectively. He’s also won two Calder Cups, the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs, and two John B. Sollenberger Trophies as the league’s leading scorer during that stretch.

Unfortunately, that impressive production in the AHL has hardly translated to the NHL. Poturalski has only been allowed to suit up in six NHL appearances since the start of the 2016-17 season and only has two assists to show for.

Still, his performance in the AHL is impressive enough in his own right, and Poturalski is again leading the league in scoring. He recently participated in the AHL’s All-Star Challenge scoring one goal in three games as a Pacific Division All-Star team member.

West Notes: Sharks Leadership, Lehkonen, Buchnevich

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The San Jose Sharks have labeled their leadership for the 2024-25 NHL season with captain Logan Couture set to miss a significant amount of time. The team announced earlier today that Mario Ferraro would be an alternate captain for all games, Tyler Toffoli and Barclay Goodrow would be alternate captains for home games, and Mikael Granlund and Luke Kunin would serve as alternate captains for away games.

New head coach Ryan Warsofsky made it a point to re-commit to Couture as the team’s captain for the upcoming season although he may not play for some time. The 2024-25 NHL season will mark Couture’s 16th season with the Sharks organization and his fifth as the team’s captain.

Ferraro will be the only returning alternate captain from last year’s leadership group with Toffoli and Goodrow coming to San Jose this offseason. Granlund served as the team’s offensive leader last season with 12 goals and 60 points in 69 games.

Other happenings out West:

  • Following reports that Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen would not be present for the team’s preseason or training camp, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports a return may not be far off. Masisak shares that Lehkonen could be a participant in the team’s opening night game on October 9th if he’s medically cleared for contact from his shoulder injury. Lehkonen and the Avalanche will certainly be looking for a cleaner bill of health from the Finnish winger as Lehkonen looks to expand upon last season in which he scored 16 goals and 34 points in only 45 contests.
  • Lou Korac of the NHL reports St. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich did not practice today due to a foot injury from blocking a shot in the team’s contest yesterday evening. Buchnevich was able to finish the game last night against the Dallas Stars and the injury is not considered serious. Buchnevich went pointless in the team’s first preseason matchup but did tally one shot on goal and a 35.3% success rate in the faceoff dot.

Sharks Sign Tyler Toffoli To Four-Year Contract

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Kevin Weekes of ESPN reports that forward Tyler Toffoli will sign with the San Jose Sharks once free agency opens up at the top of the hour. According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, the Sharks will pay Toffoli a total of $6MM per season.

Since the start of the 2021-22 NHL season, Toffoli has played for four different teams on a tour across Canada and the Atlantic coast of the United States. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports the contract will be a four-year agreement between the Sharks and Toffoli, giving the scoring winger a sense of stability for the time being.

Regardless of the constant change of scenery, Toffoli has kept pace as one of the better-scoring wingers around the league. In 156 games over the last three years split between the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, and Winnipeg Jets, Toffoli has put up 54 goals and 122 points. Achieving back-to-back 30-goal campaigns over the past two years, Toffoli may be a good bet to reach the 40-goal total for the first time in his career as he should be expected to log heavy minutes for the Sharks.

Not only does Toffoli bring valuable offensive prowess to a young San Jose lineup, but the veteran forward has appeared in four postseason runs over the last five years. In those four trips through the Stanley Cup playoffs, Toffoli has racked up 11 goals and 25 points over 46 games while also winning the Stanley Cup as a member of the Los Angeles Kings back in 2014.

All that compiled into one player is what makes this such a dynamic signing for the Sharks. The organization was desperate to improve upon a 2.20 GF/G and 20.19% powerplay percentage from a season ago. In Toffoli, the team adds that in addition to a veteran with plenty of playoff experience.

Morning Notes: Toffoli, McGroarty, Buyouts

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Elliotte Friedman (32 Thoughts) believes that the Vancouver Canucks could target Tyler Toffoli if they are unable to land pending free agent Jake Guentzel. The Canucks have been linked to Guentzel on several occasions and will likely face stiff competition to acquire the former Stanley Cup Champion. Toffoli is familiar with the Canucks organization as the 32-year-old was traded to the team in February 2020 and dressed in ten regular season games, notching ten points.

Friedman also linked Toffoli to the New York Rangers, saying that he wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rangers in the mix for Toffoli. New York recently moved Barclay Goodrow’s contract off the books and has almost $13MM in cap space heading into the offseason. Although they have some pending restricted free agents who will eat up a lot of that cap room and the pending Igor Shesterkin extension to deal with.

In other morning notes:

  • Friedman noted on the 32 Thoughts podcast that teams have inquired about former Winnipeg Jets first-round pick Rutger McGroarty (14th overall), and the Jets have engaged in trade talks about him. Friedman doesn’t get too far into the details but says that he’s heard that McGroarty is being talked about in trade discussions. The Jets hold the 20-year-old’s rights for two more years, and McGroarty decided in April to return to Michigan for another season in the NCAA. With Winnipeg in win-now mode, it would make sense for the team to look at moving him for a player that they can insert into their roster right away, particularly if they are concerned about losing his rights in two years.
  • Jeff Marek reported on the 32 Thoughts podcast that there will be buyouts in the coming days as the first buyout window will open 48 hours after the completion of the Stanley Cup final and will stay open until 5 p.m. Eastern Time on June 30th. Jeff Skinner of the Buffalo Sabres has been a name that’s been mentioned often when it comes to a buyout, as have Jack Campbell of the Edmonton Oilers and a pair of Philadelphia Flyers in Cam Atkinson and Cal Petersen. With the salary cap rising, teams have become creative when it comes to dumping salary, as evidenced by Barclay Goodrow being placed on waivers and the Washington Capitals and Los Angeles Kings swapping Pierre-Luc Dubois for Darcy Kuemper. Buyouts have long-term salary cap ramifications and teams have become more strategic about using them.

Rangers Notes: Toffoli, Trouba, Pacioretty

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Peter Baugh of The Athletic speculated today that the New York Rangers will likely take a long look at free-agent forward Tyler Toffoli. The Rangers apparently considered the 32-year-old at the trade deadline but didn’t pull off a deal and Toffoli was eventually dealt to the Winnipeg Jets. Baugh believes that Toffoli’s new contract will fall into the range of four years at $5MM per season, which would require some salary cap gymnastics from Rangers general manager Chris Drury in order to fit Toffoli in the lineup.

The Scarborough, Ontario native is coming off back-to-back 30-goal seasons and has registered at least 20 goals in each of the last five seasons. Given his age, this is likely Toffoli’s last chance to score a lucrative long-term deal. Toffoli’s first go at unrestricted free agency happened after the 2020 season during the height of the pandemic, where he took a very team-friendly four-year $17MM contract with the Montreal Canadiens.

In other New York Rangers notes:

  • With Rangers captain Jacob Trouba’s no-trade protection changing to a 15-team modified no-trade clause, Baugh speculates as to what the Rangers could get if they elected to trade the 30-year-old. Trouba struggled this season, particularly in the playoffs, however, it’s hard to know how much injuries played a role in his poor play. Trouba has two years left on his contract with an AAV of $8MM, but he is owed just $12MM in total salary over the final two years. Baugh believes that the Rangers could find a trading partner but would likely need to retain salary to facilitate a move or add a sweetener to the deal. One other option would be for the Rangers to take back an undesirable contract from another team.
  • Baugh writes that the Rangers could have a interest in Washington Capitals free agent forward Max Pacioretty. New York inquired about the 35-year-old at the trade deadline, but Pacioretty opted to stay put in Washington and elected not to waive his no-trade clause. Pacioretty has overcome several devasting injuries in the past few years and managed to dress in 47 regular season games for the Capitals last season, tallying four goals and 23 assists. Pacioretty is likely in line for another one-year bonus-laden contract.

Tyler Toffoli Expected To Test Free Agency

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The Jets will be now turning their focus to their roster after Scott Arniel was elevated to the head coaching position on Friday.  With several free agents of note and not a lot of cap space to work with, they’ll face a situation of trying to pick between who to keep and who to let go.  It appears that winger Tyler Toffoli will be among the ones that move on as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that the veteran is expected to hit the open market in July.

The 32-year-old has moved around in recent years.  This time a year ago, he was with Calgary before being moved to New Jersey after early extension talks went nowhere.  Then at the trade deadline, he was on the move again with Winnipeg flipping a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 second-rounder to get him as a rental to give their offense a boost in the tight Central Division.

The change of scenery bolstered Winnipeg’s attack but Toffoli saw his numbers dip somewhat.  After putting up 26 goals and 18 assists in 61 games with the Devils, the veteran recorded seven goals and four helpers in 18 regular season games with the Jets.  Like many of Winnipeg’s key forwards, Toffoli was somewhat quiet in their five-game loss in the opening round, recording just two goals.

Toffoli was one of the more prominent scorers available in his last trip through free agency back in 2020.  However, in a deflated market, he wound up settling for a four-year, $17MM agreement with Montreal.  Despite playing for four years on that contract, Toffoli wound up being pretty consistent, notching at least 20 goals each time while tallying 115 times in 287 games; that works out to an average of 33 goals per 82 contests.  With a lot of teams looking to add scoring this summer, this should work out in Toffoli’s favor.

While the fact he has bounced around so much lately may raise some eyeballs (he played for two different teams in 2019-20 before signing with Montreal the following summer), Toffoli has shown that he can produce in a new system quite quickly.  Accordingly, he should be well-positioned to earn another multi-year agreement and could push to land a contract in the range of last year’s top-paid forward Alex Killorn, who inked a four-year, $25MM agreement with Anaheim.  That would be a nice improvement after how things went for Toffoli last time out.

West Notes: Toffoli, Brossoit, Hague, Kiviranta

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The Jets don’t have a ton of pending unrestricted free agents, but enough to lead to some significant depth turnover after failing to win a playoff series for the third year in a row. Two players who could opt not to re-sign and test the open market are veteran winger Tyler Toffoli and backup netminder Laurent Brossoit, Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press posit.

Brossoit’s return to the Jets last summer for his second stint with the club was a surprise. The 31-year-old’s stock was at an all-time high after posting a .927 SV% in 11 games down the stretch for the Golden Knights after returning from injury, and he was serviceable in eight playoff appearances as Vegas won the Stanley Cup. Some believed he would be able to land a role as a tandem netminder and eclipse his previous career-high of 24 appearances, but he instead opted to return to a familiar role backing up Connor Hellebuyck on a one-year, $1.75MM deal.

It worked out as well as it possibly could for Brossoit, who was excellent with a .927 SV% and three shutouts in 22 starts and one relief appearance. Back-to-back strong seasons after a rather roller-coaster career now have him fully primed to look for more starts on the UFA market in a couple of months.

Toffoli, meanwhile, was underwhelming after the Jets paid a second and third-round pick to acquire him at 50% salary retention from the Devils at the trade deadline. He posted seven goals and 11 points in 18 games down the stretch in the regular season but saw his ice time dip in the postseason, averaging only 14:05 per game against the Avs while scoring twice with a -2 rating in the five-game loss.

Elsewhere out West:

  • The Golden Knights won’t get defenseman Nicolas Hague back for Game 7 against the Stars tomorrow, head coach Bruce Cassidy said (via The Athletic’s Jesse Granger). The bottom-pairing fixture sustained a lower-body injury in Game 1 and hasn’t yet returned to practice. Hague, 25, also missed eight games with a lower-body injury early in the season. He finished the regular season with two goals, 10 assists, 12 points and a -5 rating in 73 games while averaging 18:33 per contest.
  • Avalanche depth winger Joel Kiviranta is working his way back to full health while Colorado awaits the winner of tomorrow’s Dallas/Vegas game. He returned to practice yesterday for the first time since sustaining an undisclosed injury in Game 3 against Winnipeg, Colorado Hockey Now’s Evan Rawal reports. He had one assist before exiting their first-round win, averaging 10:14 per game with a +2 rating.

Central Notes: Dadonov, Hakanpaa, Niederreiter, Toffoli, Hayes

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Injured Stars skaters Evgenii Dadonov and Jani Hakanpää haven’t yet returned to full team practices, but head coach Peter DeBoer is optimistic they’ll be options when the playoffs kick off on April 20, Brien Rea of Bally Sports Southwest reports. Both are sidelined with lower-body injuries, although only Dadonov is on long-term injured reserve. His role has been filled expertly by rookie Logan Stankoven, who’s mustered six goals and 12 points in 17 games since making his NHL debut in late February. The 35-year-old is only a season removed from being one of Dallas’ more important secondary scorers in last year’s run to the Western Conference Final, potting four goals and 10 points in 16 playoff games. However, he’s been limited to 23 points in 50 games this season after inking a two-year, $4.5MM extension to remain in Dallas over the summer. As such, there’s no guarantee he enters the playoff lineup ahead of Stankoven even if healthy, and the skill winger isn’t the best fit for a fourth-line role.

Hakanpää’s absence hasn’t been as lengthy, not suiting up since March 16 against the Kings. The 32-year-old Finn had been pushed down the depth chart anyway, thanks to the emergence of Thomas Harley in a top-pairing role and the acquisition of Chris Tanev from the Flames, taking him out of his usual second-pairing role alongside countryman Esa Lindell. When he returns to health, it’ll be in battle with Nils Lundkvist for bottom-pairing minutes alongside veteran anchor Ryan Suter. Still an incredibly competent shutdown blue-liner, Hakanpää has two goals and 12 points in 64 games this season, his third in the Lone Star State. His possession metrics remain below average but are still in an excusable range given his extreme defensive-zone usage at even strength, although his short-handed metrics have taken a tumble. He’s one of their most relied-upon penalty-killers when healthy, averaging 3:16 per game.

Other updates out of the Central:

  • Jets winger Nino Niederreiter will be out at least one week after sustaining a laceration on the back of his leg from a skate cut against the Kings on Monday, head coach Rick Bowness said today (via John Lu of TSN). Bowness called the injury “a pretty bad gash” and said it would have been more severe had Niederreiter not been wearing Kevlar socks. Niederreiter’s return timeline will keep him out of the next three games, but he could re-enter the lineup in a key battle for playoff positioning against the Stars next Thursday. The 31-year-old has once again excelled as a remarkably consistent two-way middle-six winger, potting 18 goals and 33 points in 75 games this year in spite of slightly reduced minutes. He potted four points in five games in Winnipeg’s first-round loss to the Golden Knights last year and will be a secondary X-factor if Winnipeg wants to escape a likely showdown with the Avalanche in a few weeks. Niederreiter will be replaced in tomorrow’s lineup against the Flames by trade-deadline pickup Tyler Toffoli, Bowness confirmed. He’d missed Winnipeg’s tilt against Los Angeles with an illness. Toffoli has been a solid pickup for Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, scoring four goals and two assists for six points in 11 games. He’s now reached the 30-goal plateau in back-to-back seasons for the first time.
  • Blues center Kevin Hayes has the flu and is questionable for a practically do-or-die game against the Predators tomorrow, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports. He’s expected to travel with the club as they embark on a three-game road trip, though, and could return soon after if he misses the Nashville contest. Their already slim postseason chances would drop to around 1% with a regulation loss and 2% with an overtime loss, per MoneyPuck. They’re three points back of the Kings for the final wild-card spot in the West with one more game played, although L.A. is on a three-game losing streak. Hayes has disappointed after coming over in an offseason trade from the Flyers, notching 13 goals and 29 points in 75 games in a bottom-six role. It’s the worst offensive output of his 10-year career by a significant margin. If he’s unable to suit up against the Preds, Nikita Alexandrov and Zachary Bolduc are both extras on hand and available to enter the lineup.

Central Notes: Toffoli, Walker, Stramel, Blackwell, Zaitsev

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Mike McIntyre of The Winnipeg Free Press is reporting that Winnipeg Jets forward Tyler Toffoli won’t dress tonight when the Jets take on the Los Angeles Kings. Toffoli missed practice this morning and was dealing with an illness according to Jets head coach Rick Bowness. Another game-time decision, Cole Perfetti will dress and could slide in alongside Sean Monahan and Kyle Connor. Since joining the Jets at the trade deadline, the 31-year-old Toffoli has posted four goals and two assists in 11 games. Perfetti on the other hand has 15 goals and 17 assists in 66 games this season.

In other Central Division notes:

  • Colorado Avalanche defenseman Sean Walker is in the lineup tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets after he was deemed questionable on Saturday. The 29-year-old played just 11:15 two nights ago against the Nashville Predators because of an upper-body injury but doesn’t appear to be feeling any ill effects tonight. Walker was also a trade deadline acquisition and has three goals and one assist in ten games since joining the Avalanche.
  • Joe Smith and Michael Russo of The Athletic are reporting that Minnesota Wild prospect Charlie Stramel is considering entering the transfer portal now that his season is over with the University of Wisconsin. The 2023 first-round pick has struggled with the Badgers and posted just three goals and five assists in 34 games this season. A league source has said that Stramel likely isn’t thrilled with his development, and it sure seems plausible given that he saw very little time on specialty teams and was relegated to fourth-line duty for much of the season.
  • Scott Powers of The Athletic is reporting that Chicago Blackhawks Colin Blackwell and Nikita Zaitsev are back at practice today. The 31-year-old Blackwell has missed the last five games as he’s been dealing with an upper-body injury. The center has eight goals and four assists in 39 games this year. Zaitsev will also be a game-time decision tomorrow and he too has been dealing with an upper-body injury. The veteran defenseman has just two goals and five assists in 36 games this season and hasn’t played since March 28th against the Ottawa Senators.

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