Canadiens trade Tyler Toffoli to the Flames for two players, draft picks
The Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens have completed a significant trade that involves Tyler Toffoli heading to Alberta.
The Flames have acquired Toffoli in exchange for a first-round pick, a fifth-round pick, 20-year-old prospect Emil Heineman, and 30-year-old depth centre Tyler Pitlick. The draft pick is for this June’s draft in Montreal and is top-10 protected, according to a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Les Canadiens ont acquis Tyler Pitlick, Emil Heineman et des choix de 1er et 5e tour des Flames de Calgary en retour de Tyler Toffoli.
The Canadiens have acquired Tyler Pitlick, Emil Heineman and a first and fifth-round pick from the Calgary Flames in exchange for Tyler Toffoli.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 14, 2022
Toffoli, 29, is under contract for two more years beyond this season, at a $4.25 million cap hit. The Scarborough, Ontario, native had a spectacular first season in Montreal last year, scoring 28 goals and 44 points in 52 games. He added another five goals and 14 points in 22 playoff games, helping the Habs reach the Stanley Cup Final.
Toffoli has nine goals and 26 points in 37 games for Montreal this season. That’s just two points back of the team lead in points, despite Toffoli playing 11 fewer games than Nick Suzuki, who has 28 points.
The Flames paid a big price to get Toffoli, but they are getting a proven top-six winger who can score goals — which fills a need stated last week by GM Brad Treliving. It also helps that Toffoli has a history with Flames head coach Darryl Sutter, from their time together with the LA Kings, not to mention a team-friendly cap hit.
The first-round draft pick is the key to the deal for the Canadiens, who are now in rebuild mode after a disastrous 2021-22 season.
A second-round draft pick in 2020, Heineman was drafted 43rd overall by the Florida Panthers. He was acquired by the Flames in the offseason, as part of the trade that sent Sam Bennett to the Panthers. The 6-foot-1 Swedish right winger has 16 points in 36 games this season with Leksands of the Swedish Hockey League.
Pitlick has 311 games of NHL experience and scored 27 points in 2017-18 for the Dallas Stars. He has no goals and two points in 25 games for Calgary this season.
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