Toffoli traded to Canucks by Kings

Tyler Toffoli was traded to the Vancouver Canucks by the Los Angeles Kings on Monday for forward Tim Schaller, the rights to forward Tyler Madden, a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and a conditional pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Toffoli, a 27-year-old forward, can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He has 34 points (18 goals, 16 assists) in 58 games this season. On Saturday, Toffoli became the first player to have a hat trick in an NHL outdoor game in a 3-1 win against the Colorado Avalanche at Falcon Stadium in the 2020 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series.
Toffoli said he was at dinner with his Kings teammates in Winnipeg on Monday when he got the call that he had been traded.
"It was mixed emotions," Toffoli said in Vancouver after his first practice with the Canucks on Tuesday. "Everybody's sad, but everybody knows that they're rebuilding and that's just the direction that they were going and I just need to look towards the future here and be ready to go tomorrow.
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"I know from playing against them they are a really exciting team, they got a lot of skill and I'm just really excited to be able to join it and bring the skill that I have and the two-way game that I bring in and just try to contribute as much as I can."
Vancouver general manager Jim Benning said the trade was directly related to forward Brock Boesser possibly missing the rest of the season with a rib cartilage fracture. Boeser, who has 45 points (16 goals, 29 assists), has not played since Feb. 8.
"It's an eight-week injury," Benning said Tuesday. "So we wanted to make sure that you know we had ourselves covered. Our players have worked hard this year, our coaches have worked hard, for fans we want to stay in the race here coming down the stretch and so we felt like this was something we could do now.
"[Toffoli] can shoot the puck. He does a lot of the same things that Brock did for us. He's got experience, he's won the Stanley Cup, so we just figured it's a good fit for our group."
The Canucks (32-22-5) are in third place in the Pacific Division, one point behind the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights, and one point ahead of the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes, who hold the first and second wild cards into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.
Kings general manger Rob Blake said the decision to trade Toffoli was difficult.
"Tyler has been a huge impact on the Kings organization with the Stanley Cup and everything that will be remembered for how hard he's worked and what he's been able to accomplish, so they're never easy," Blake said Monday. "I know there was lots of speculation, but it still doesn't make any call in this type of matter any easier at all."
Selected by Los Angeles in the second round (No. 47) of the 2010 NHL Draft, Toffoli has 290 points (139 goals, 151 assists) in 515 regular-season games. He also has 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 47 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Toffoli helped the Kings win the Cup in 2014.
Benning said Toffoli is a well-rounded player, but they were most interested in his ability to scored goals.
"He's learned how to play the right way he's strong on the walls, goes to the net hard, has a real good release on his shot, can play the power play, can kill penalties," Benning said. "He has a good overall game but the main reason for us to get him was his ability to shoot the puck and play on the power play and score for us coming down the stretch."
Benning said he would discuss a possible long-term contract with Toffoli after the season.
"Obviously, the first step is to bring him here and see where he fits in and how he fits in," Benning said. "I talked to him about maybe let's just see where it all goes and at the end of the season, let's sit down and see if we can figure something out to keep him around here long term."

Schaller, who is in the final season of a two-year contract and can become a UFA on July 1, has six points (five goals, one assist) in 51 games this season. Originally signed by the Buffalo Sabres as an undrafted free agent on April 2, 2013, Schaller has 57 points (29 goals, 28 assists) in 274 regular-season games with the Canucks and Boston Bruins, and three points (one goal, two assists) in 17 playoff games.
Madden, who is the son of former NHL forward John Madden, was selected by Vancouver in the third round (No. 68) of the 2018 NHL Draft. The 20-year-old is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University, where he leads the team in goals (19) and points (37).
Blake said he was unsure if he will make another move before the NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 24. The Kings (21-33-5) are last in the Western Conference with 47 points.
"Obviously we've got work to do here and we're listening to a lot of different things, but it's hard to pinpoint other moves right now," Blake said. … "I think you make your calls, you judge the market. I was in a similar situation a little earlier with a player last year in (Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman) Jake Muzzin. I think when you look at the possible deals that you may have to make and you put a range on what the return would be, I think my feeling is once that is met you move forward on it."
Kings defenseman Alec Martinez said Tuesday he has mixed emotions over the Toffoli trade.
"Disappointment, but I'm happy that he's going somewhere where someone wants him and he's in a good situation," Martinez said.
NHL.com independent correspondents Kevin Woodley and Dan Greenspan contributed to this report