5 players the Boston Bruins could trade for by the deadline
By Bob Heyrman
4. F Tyler Toffoli
Another year, another struggling Los Angeles Kings team. It’s a Kings team that’s struggled mightily on the offensive side of the puck this season. It’s also the same franchise that buried forward Ilya Kovalchuk on its fourth line before eventually removing him from the line up altogether. Kovalchuk has since returned to form after willingly finding a new home with the Montreal Canadiens, for now.
Tyler Toffoli is having himself a decent scoring season all things considered. He currently sits third on the team in total points with 31 behind Anze Kopitar‘s 49 and Alex Iafallo‘s 33 on the year. Toffoli has recorded 15 goals to date as of Thursday, which is good for fourth on the Kings.
The Kings are in a tough situation with Toffoli, who is about to turn 28-years-old but is entering free agency as the season expires. He will be expecting a significant pay raise, but the rebuilding Kings aren’t exactly in the position to overpay for a fringe second-line forward.
Sure, he has the skill-set to play up and down the lineup, but on a contending team, he’d fit perfectly as a second/third-line energy player that can chip in on the scoreboard any given night. That being said, with Los Angeles, he regularly plays on the top line alongside superstar Kopitar. The Kings will be wise to move him rather than risk losing him on the open market for nothing.
Toffoli is a forward that would fit nicely with the Bruins. He’d be a perfect fit on the right-wing alongside David Krejci and Jake Debrusk on the Bruins’ second line.