Same-Day Analysis: Toffoli traded, Eichel activated
The Calgary-Montreal trade a transaction between two teams going in polar opposite directions, while the Golden Knights legally circumvent the salary cap
When the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames kicked off the pre-trade deadline frenzy with a Tyler Toffoli transaction Monday, both teams put into sharp focus exactly how quickly things can change in the NHL. A little more than seven months ago, the Flames were well into their summer vacations, albeit one filled with existential crisis. The Canadiens were in the Stanley Cup final and looking forward to building on that accomplishment.
(Insert record scratching sound effect here.)
So weird. When the Flames acquired Toffoli from the Canadiens in exchange for a (top-10 protected) first-round pick in 2022, a fifth-rounder in 2023, 20-year-old prospect Emil Heineman and 30-year-old journeyman Tyler Pitlick, they did it primarily because they needed secondary scoring for what they hope will be a long playoff run. Before the season, secondary scoring was the least of their worries. That was because they couldn’t even get much primary scoring. But here they are, well past the halfway point of the season on some kind of heater, with visions of competing for the Stanley Cup.
The Canadiens, on the other hand, made a huge statement by trading Toffoli. This was not a short-term rental, a la Ben Chariot, a player the Canadiens needed to deal before losing him for nothing. No, Tyler Toffoli was supposed to be a big part of the Canadiens’ future. He’s a reliable and productive veteran with two years remaining on a really team-friendly contract. Sure, it has been a miserable season for everyone involved, Toffoli included. But you simply cannot ignore that the Canadiens traded one of their more productive players – who was tied for the team lead in goals and second in points – with two more years to go on a reasonable contract.
It provides a very good indication where the Canadiens are headed. And that is straight to Tank-ville. If the Canadiens thought their turnaround was going to be relatively quick, there would have been no reason for them to deal Toffoli. The fact they did so indicates they knew that Toffoli was going to be nothing but a good player on a bad team for the next two seasons. And if that’s the case, why not strip it down to the wood and take your best shot of getting both Shane Wright and Connor Bedard?
What does all of this say about the future of Carey Price? Do the Canadiens know something about his long-term prognosis they’re not disclosing? What does this mean for Brendan Gallagher, who is in the first year of a six-year deal worth $39 million? Does he want to be part of a massive rebuild? What do they do with Mike Hoffman? Josh Anderson? Jonathan Drouin? The rewards of tanking, especially with some of the talent on the horizon, are high. But so are the risks. Just ask the Buffalo Sabres, who tanked in 2014-15 to get either Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. They don’t have either of them and are still trying to emerge from the losing culture that season created.
The Flames actually did pretty well in this trade, all things considering. They managed to get someone who can play on either wing in their top six and they got him without giving up either Jakob Pelletier or Connor Zary, their top two prospects. The Flames have come to the realization that they can really make a run. They’re playing in by far the NHL’s weakest division and could have a pretty favorable path to the Western Conference final. And who knows where they’ll be after this season? Johnny Gaudreau is set to become an unrestricted free agent and the Flames have three arbitration-eligible restricted free agents in Matthew Tkachuk, Oliver Kylington and Andrew Mangiapane. Like we said, things can change pretty quickly in this league.
THIS IS STONE-COLD CRAZY
Interesting to see that Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon announced that Jack Eichel will make his season debut Wednesday night, while delivering the bad news that Mark Stone will go on the long-term injured list for an indefinite period. What was even more interesting is he said it with a straight face.
Don’t be the least bit surprised if the Golden Knights pull a ‘Kucherov’ here, which would mean Stone is on schedule for a miraculous recovery sometime shortly after April 29. (In their defense, he has already missed one game and has been bothered by a back injury for some time.) That happens to coincide with the end of the regular season and the point where the NHL no longer keeps track of annoying little matters such as whether or not a team is salary cap compliant.
It boggles the mind that in the NHL, a team can’t even think of hitting the ice for a Wednesday night game against Seattle in the middle of February without adhering to the salary cap, but is free to take the ice for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final with a roster that is tens of millions in excess of the league-imposed spending limits.
When he was questioned about this particular inequity prior to the Stanley Cup final, commissioner Gary Bettman, in the smarmy way only Bettman can, asked deputy commissioner Bill Daly, “How long has this provision been in effect?” To which Daly dutifully replied, “Since 2005.” Daly went on to defiantly say, “I’m not apologizing for what is a sound system and has been a sound system from the start.”
To be clear, the Golden Knights are doing nothing wrong here. In fact, if you’re not legally manipulating the salary cap in the NHL these days, you’re clearly not trying hard enough. What they are doing is completely legitimate and within the rules. And it’s smart. This is a failure of the system.
There is, of course, an easy way to remedy this. And that would be to force teams to be cap compliant in the playoffs as well as the regular season. But then that would require the league to crack down on some of the richest and most powerful owners in the game. Imposing a salary cap, then having hoops you could drive a tractor trailer through is a much more expedient way to do things. Just ask the Lightning, but they might not hear you with their two Stanley Cup rings plugging their ears.