Reaction: What Tyler Toffoli Brings to the Winnipeg Jets Following Trade with Devils
The Winnipeg Jets acquired forward Tyler Toffoli from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a second-round pick and a third-round pick. Jacob Stoller reacts.
Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has done it again.
The Jets have acquired forward Tyler Toffoli from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick. The Devils will retain 50 percent of Toffoli’s $4.25-million cap hit.
Toffoli, 31, is a bona fide top-six winger who has recorded 26 goals and 44 points in 61 games with New Jersey this season. On pace for his second straight 30-plus goal season, the 2014 Stanley Cup winner is an asset in all three zones thanks to his high hockey IQ and superb stick abilities.
He may not be the fastest skater, but his smarts enable him to play with pace and find open ice. According to AllThreeZones.com, Tofolli ranks ninth in 5-on-5 rush shots per 60 (14.48) among forwards who have played at least 100 minutes at 5-on-5 this season. Toffoli is equally as effective at creating opportunities in tight, ranking in the 93rd percentile for goals from high-danger areas, per NHL Edge data.
In true Cheveldayoff fashion, the Jets were not reported as front-runners in the Toffoli sweepstakes leading into the deadline. But when you think about it, Tofolli is the perfect add for Winnipeg, especially at that acquisition price. It’s the perfect type of response in the wake of Central Division rivals, the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, beefing up ahead of the deadline.
When healthy, the Jets’ top line of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi has been locked intact, but their second line has been a rotating cast of wingers alongside Sean Monahan and Nikolaj Ehlers. Throughout the course of the season, Winnipeg has had a rotating cast of Cole Perfetti, Vlad Namestnikov and Alex Iaffalo in their top six. While each has had spurts of success, it hasn’t been enough for a team that’s serious about contending for the Stanley Cup.
The idea of Toffoli playing alongside a speedster in Ehlers — a player many in the hockey world believes deserves more ice time — is intriguing, considering how well he thrived alongside Jack Hughes.
New Jersey, on the other hand, was wise to punt on Toffoli and recoup as many assets as possible. Their playoff hopes are on life support, and frankly, there’s no need for a young team like the Devils to go all-in this year, especially given how many holes their roster has in net and elsewhere.
Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald acquired Toffoli ahead of the 2023-24 season in exchange for Yegor Sharangoich and a 2023 third-round pick.