New Jersey Devils forward Tyler Toffoli entered the All-Star Break with 34 points (21 goals, 13 assists).
New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald was thrilled to acquire veteran Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames on June 27, 2023.
"He is a top-six player. He has proven that he is a pure goal scorer, and to win hockey games, you need to score goals. We are thankful we got that done."
The Scarborough, Ontario, native and 2014 Stanley Cup champion was coming off a career season with 73 points, potting a career-high 34 goals with 39 assists.
More importantly for the Devils, he was and is a player who isn't afraid to shoot the puck.
Last season, he finished with 268 shots, the most among Flames skaters. The Devils had only one forward surpass that amount in the 2022-23 season - Jack Hughes.
When examining Toffoli's start with the Devils, he is statistically on par to repeat last season's impressive performance.
Through the first 45 games, he's scored five more goals this season than last, has one less power-play goal, and four fewer points than he did with the Flames.
The winger has faced his own adversity and had a couple of dry spells where he went four-plus games without a point, but he knew things would eventually turn around.
"Obviously, you want to score every night, but I've been around long enough to know at some point I was going to score again," Toffoli said.
Fitzgerald seems pleased with Toffoli's performance thus far and recently told the media there have been talks with his agent, Pat Brisson, on a possible extension.
"I have had multiple conversations with his agent," the Devils general manager said. "I think we are probably going to sit down here at some point after the (All-Star) break or in the (All-Star) break to see where he is at and what he is thinking."
The 31-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2023-24 season, and while it seems like a good fit for both parties, there is more to it.
"I like Tyler Toffoli. I think he's been a really good add for our team because of his professionalism and winning pedigree, but it is a business."
Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.