Canucks winger Toffoli will test free agent market: report

Tyler Toffoli will hit the open market this Friday, free to sign with any team he wants, according to a pair of reports.

TSN 1040’s Rick Dhaliwal and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman are both reporting today that the Canucks will be unable to re-sign Toffoli before Friday, at which point he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.

Looks like Toffoli going to the market because VAN can’t clear the space

— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) October 6, 2020

Word it appears as if Tyler Toffoli will hit market due to VAN’s tight cap situation. Another scorer available in free agency

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 6, 2020

The issue is the Canucks’ salary cap, which has been eaten up with years of regrettable contracts.

With Jacob Markstrom and Chris Tanev also unrestricted free agents — not to mention restricted free agents Jake Virtanen, Troy Stecher, Adam Gaudette, and Tyler Motte — there’s not enough money to go around. The Canucks are also interested in Oliver Ekman-Larsson, which adds another complicating layer.

Toffoli, 28, was acquired on February 17 in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings, costing Vancouver prospect Tyler Madden, Tim Schaller, and a second-round pick. The Scarborough, Ontario native was a great fit on the Canucks’ top line with Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, scoring 10 points in 10 regular season games.

Toffoli was injured in the first play-in game against Minnesota, but still managed to contribute four points in seven playoff games, even while playing at less than 100%.