Feb 17, 2020

Trade Bait: Hat trick helps Toffoli climb the board

The Los Angeles Kings winger reminded teams he’s a suitable alternative to Chris Kreider on the rental winger market by scoring three times in Saturday night’s Stadium Series game, Frank Seravalli writes.

By Frank Seravalli

Trade Bait - Tyler Toffoli , The Canadian Press

Frank Seravalli

TSN Senior Hockey Reporter

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Tyler Toffoli reminded teams he’s a suitable alternative to Chris Kreider on the NHL’s rental winger market with a hat trick in Saturday night’s Stadium Series game in Colorado Springs.

Toffoli, 27, notched his 16th, 17th and 18th goals of the season against the Avalanche at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is nearly a sure bet to be dealt by the Los Angeles Kings between now and 3 p.m. E.T. on Feb. 24, which is why he’s up to No. 6 on the latest TSN Trade Bait Board.

Toffoli has put up comparable numbers (18 goals and 34 points) to Kreider’s 23 goals and 42 points for the Rangers, and the two wingers have nearly identical salary cap hits (Toffoli $4.6 million, Kreider $4.625 million).

But Kreider, 28, is expected to fetch a first-round pick and prospect, while Toffoli is believed to be in the second-round pick range.

“Every team is looking to get bigger, stronger and faster and Kreider checks all of those boxes,” one Eastern Conference executive said Monday. “Toffoli doesn’t have that speed and power element. He doesn’t play with pace.”

That executive, whose team isn’t in trade talks for Toffoli, said he could see “a package that looks like a second- and a fourth-round pick that might become a third with a condition” or “a second-round pick and a team’s fourth- or fifth-best prospect.”

Is Palmieri next to go in New Jersey?

After trading captain Andy Greene to the Islanders and Blake Coleman and his bargain contract to Tampa, interim Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald put most of the rest of his roster on notice.

“My plan, if I am to continue at this position, is to grow around Jack [Hughes] and Nico [Hischier] and that age frame, and have a group of kids around that same type of age group to grow together,” Fitzgerald told reporters. “That’s simple.”

Hughes is 18. Hischier is 21. Leading scorer Kyle Palmieri, 29, doesn’t fit that age scheme. Neither does 28-year-old pending UFA defenceman Sami Vatanen.

Fitzgerald’s phone has been ringing on both players, which is why Palmieri is joining the board at No. 9 and Vatanen is up to No. 2. Vatanen appears to be the top rental defenceman on the market in terms of potential return.

The only question on Palmieri is whether the local New Jersey product is moved before Feb. 24 or in a deal that waits until June, when more teams would be interested in perennial 50-point player’s services.

There doesn't appear to be a market for P.K. Subban at the moment, and Devils mainstay Travis Zajac has reportedly declined to waive his no-trade clause.

Kreider trickle down

Contract negotiations between Kreider and the Rangers have reportedly failed to produce meaningful progress on an extension. The clock is ticking.

The Rangers have told teams that they’re willing to listen on all of their pending free agents, both restricted and unrestricted, which is why Anthony DeAngelo and Pavel Buchnevich have been on the board.

They will continue to listen. But if Kreider is indeed on the move, which appears likely, there is less of an urgency to move either DeAngelo or Buchnevich now since the Rangers will now have a bit more cap breathing room. That’s why both players took a tumble on the board.

Here are 50 names believed to be in play on TSN Hockey’s latest Trade Bait board, which always seeks to blend a player’s prominence with his likelihood of moving:

Trade Bait - Feb. 17

Player	Pos	Age	GP	G	PTS	Cap Hit	Years
1. Chris Kreider, NYR	LW	28	57	23	42	$4.63M	UFA
2. Sami Vatanen, NJ	RD	28	47	5	23	$4.9M	UFA
3. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ott	C	27	57	22	36	$3.1M	UFA
4. Alec Martinez, LA	LD	32	41	1	8	$4M	1
5. Brenden Dillon, SJ	LD	29	58	1	14	$3.27M	UFA
6. Tyler Toffoli, LA	RW	27	58	18	34	$4.6M	UFA
7. Ilya Kovalchuk, Mtl	RW	36	36	9	21	$700K	UFA
8. Carolina's 1st Round Pick							2020
9. Kyle Palmieri, NJ	RW	29	54	22	41	$4.65M	1
10. Andreas Athanasiou, Det	LW	25	44	8	22	$3M	RFA
11. Dylan DeMelo, Ott	RD	26	49	0	10	$900K	UFA
12. Patrick Marleau, SJ	LW	40	54	10	20	$700K	UFA
13. Joe Thornton, SJ	C	40	58	2	24	$2M	UFA
14. Derek Grant, Ana	C	29	46	14	20	$700K	UFA
15. Mike Hoffman, Fla	RW	30	58	21	46	$5.19M	UFA
16. Barclay Goodrow, SJ	C	26	58	8	24	$925K	1
17. Chris Tierney, Ott	C	25	59	10	30	$2.94M	RFA
18. Erik Gustafsson, Chi	LD	27	58	6	26	$1.2M	UFA
19. Pavel Buchnevich, NYR	RW	24	58	13	35	$3.25M	1
20. Detroit's Cap Space							2020
21. Alex Kerfoot, Tor	C	25	55	8	25	$3.5M	3
22. Kasperi Kapanen, Tor	RW	23	59	11	32	$3.2M	2
23. Matt Dumba, Min	RD	25	58	4	20	$6M	3
24. Jonas Brodin, Min	LD	26	58	2	24	$4.17M	1
25. Wayne Simmonds, NJ	RW	31	58	7	23	$5M	UFA
26. Josh Anderson, Clb	RW	25	26	1	4	$1.85M	RFA
27. Anthony DeAngelo, NYR	RD	24	56	13	43	$925K	RFA
28. Shayne Gostisbehere, Phi	LD	26	41	5	12	$4.5M	3
29. Ondrej Kase, Ana	RW	24	49	7	23	$2.6M	1
30. Rasmus Ristolainen, Buf	RD	25	59	5	28	$5.4M	2
31. Robin Lehner, Chi	G	28	32	2.91	.921	$5M	RFA
32. Ron Hainsey, Ott	LD	38	52	1	11	$3.5M	UFA
33. Conor Sheary, Buf	LW	27	52	9	19	$3M	UFA
34. Ryan Donato, Min	LW	23	52	11	18	$1.9M	1
35. Craig Smith, Nsh	RW	30	58	17	28	$4.5M	UFA
36. Valtteri Filppula, Det	C	35	60	5	19	$3M	1
37. Marco Scandella, Mtl	LD	29	51	4	12	$4M	UFA
38. Mikael Granlund, Nsh	LW	27	52	14	24	$5.75M	UFA
39. Sam Bennett, Cgy	LW	23	42	7	11	$2.55M	1
40. Michael Del Zotto, Ana	LD	29	37	2	11	$750K	UFA
41. Nate Thompson, Mtl	C	35	60	3	13	$1M	UFA
42. Trevor Lewis, LA	RW	33	45	3	9	$2M	UFA
43. Devin Shore, Ana	LW	25	35	2	8	$2.3M	UFA
44. Rocco Grimaldi, Nsh	RW	27	55	10	29	$1M	UFA
45. Evgeni Dadonov, Fla	RW	30	58	23	42	$4M	UFA
46. Zach Bogosian, Buf	RD	29	19	1	5	$5.14M	UFA
47. Josh Manson, Ana	RD	28	39	1	6	$4.1M	2
48. Kyle Turris, Nsh	C	30	51	9	28	$6M	4
49. Jeff Petry, Mtl	RD	32	61	8	35	$5.5M	1
50. Jesse Puljujarvi, Edm*	RW	21	46	18	44	-	RFA