Toffoli is among the names rumoured to be on the move at this year's trade deadline.

With the trade deadline fast approaching, the Vancouver Canucks have been linked to multiple players as they attempt to strengthen their team for a Stanley Cup Final run. While most of the attention has been on Jake Guentzel, the best option for Vancouver might be pivoting to Tyler Toffoli and bringing the Stanley Cup winner back to the Canucks organization. While he only 17 games for Vancouver during the 2019-20 regular season and playoffs, he developed strong chemistry with the Canucks star players and would elevate Vancouver's top six to one of the deepest in the league. 

Toffoli was initially acquired by the Canucks before the 2020 trade deadline. The price of acquisition at that time was Tim Schaller, a 2020 second-round pick, Tyler Madden and a conditional 2022 fourth-round pick. While the price was high, the opportunity to add a player with his experience and goal-scoring ability was worth it, as Vancouver had sights on a long playoff run that season. During the offseason, the Canucks "ran out of time" and were not able to retain his rights despite heavy interest from Toffoli, leading him to sign a four deal in Montreal. 

During his brief stint with Vancouver, Toffoli enjoyed success playing beside Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. According to Natural Stat Trick, the three played 124:16 together over the ten games and held a 10-7 goals for advantage. While the trio was on the ice, the Canucks also outshot the opposition 105 to 81 and had a 28-21 high-danger chances advantage. Unfortunately, Toffoli suffered an injury early in the playoffs and wasn't at 100% during Vancouver's series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite the analytics from that series, he and Pettersson played well together and were one of the Canucks best duos during that series. 

As for where Toffoli would fit, the easy answer is beside Pettersson and Nils Höglander. This would allow Vancouver to spread out their scoring in the top six while also giving Pettersson two wingers with whom he has developed chemistry with. There would also be a spot for him on the first power play unit, hopefully sparking the group, which has struggled over the past few weeks. Overall, he makes the Canucks lineup more balanced and allows the coaching staff not to have to elevate players into positions they may not be suited for. 

While the price for Toffoli is once again going to be high, it is a move Vancouver should seriously consider. He is having a solid offensive season with 26 goals and 44 points, while his analytics show he has had a strong campaign in the defensive zone. Whether it be at even strength or on the power play, a Toffoli addition could be beneficial not just this season but also in the future if the 31-year-old pending unrestricted free agent decides to sign an extension with the Canucks. 

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