The New Jersey Devils have upgraded an already impressive forward group by acquiring winger Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames, the team announced on Tuesday. In return, the Flames got the rights to pending restricted free agent Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third-round pick.
Fresh off a spectacular season at Calgary, Toffoli has one year left on his current contract at $4.25 million per season. In 2022-23, Toffoli set career highs in goals (34), assists (39), and points (73). He should slot right into New Jersey's top six, alongside highly-skilled forwards like Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier.
In addition to his production, Toffoli also brings a wealth of experience and a championship pedigree to a Devils team that is still ascending. Throughout his 733 NHL games, Toffoli has piled up 227 goals and 239 assists for a total of 466 points. In the 2014 playoffs, Toffoli tallied 14 points in 26 games as he helped the Los Angeles Kings hoist the Stanley Cup for the second time in three years.
With Toffoli now in the mix, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald will continue working on an extension for Timo Meier, who is coming off a 40-goal season.
The Flames, who appear to be in the midst of another turbulent offseason, do get the negotiating rights to the 25-year-old Sharangovich out of the deal. Sharangovich showed some promise in New Jersey, and the Flames have to hope they can build on that moving forward. Last season, Sharangovish tallied 13 goals and 17 assists in 75 games, and he recorded 24 goals in the 2021-22 campaign.
