Fantasy Impact: Calgary Acquires Tyler Toffoli
Dobber
2022-02-14
The Montreal Canadiens have traded Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames for prospect Emil Heineman, a first- and a fifth-round draft pick.
The Flames get: a (COVID pro-rated) two-time 30-goal scorer coming off a pro-rated 38-goal season. Toffoli is only on pace for 58 points this season, but he has 17 points in his last 18 games. He also has a wonderful, albeit short, history (two teams) of starting off with a splash after joining a new club.
The Habs get: Heineman, who we have profiled here, is a former 43rd overall pick (2020) who was actually traded to Calgary in the Sam Bennett deal along with a second-round draft pick. So the Flames paid a bit more for Toffoli than they charged the Panthers for Bennett. Montreal also gets a first and a fifth. Heineman, a winger who is still just 20, is having a solid season in the SHL with 11 goals in 36 games, second on the club.
Fantasy Players Impacted: Toffoli leaves the league's lowest goal-scoring team and joins a team that sits in that ninth to 11th range on a per-game basis. Currently, the Flames are rolling the following line combinations:
Johnny Gaudreau – Elias Lindholm – Matthew Tkachuk
Andrew Mangiapane – Mikael Backlund – Blake Coleman
Brett Ritchie – Sean Monahan – Dillon Dube
Toffoli likely displaces Coleman. Either directly, or indirectly if he takes over for Tkachuk and Tkachuk slots in for Coleman. Regardless, this puts a damper of Coleman's production. The domino effect for the team is nice, as it gives them two great scoring lines and then Coleman helps the third line become a threat. Besides Coleman, there is also Sean Monahan. He currently sees time on the top PP unit. That ends now. Look for Toffoli, Lindholm, Tkachuk and Gaudreau to become the four PP forwards.
Over in Montreal, the trading of Toffoli puts Brendan Gallagher back on a scoring line. Gallagher has been unproductive ever since Toffoli's arrival. Perhaps this puts him back in the mix. As such, I don't think Toffoli's Montreal linemates (Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki at the end) will see a downtick. There is a goal-scoring void, but it will be filled. The team is already scoring at a low rate – it can't possibly slip further. As far as Montreal players go – this can't hurt any of them, fantasy-wise. To a man, ever Montreal player's fantasy value has already hit rock-bottom. Hell, in a recent midseason dynasty draft, owners were bailing on Habs right, left and center. Even Toffoli was dropped (prior to his recent 17 points in 18 games)! When the dust settled, only Suzuki and Caufield remained owned in the entire 13-team, 20-player roster league.
Fantasy Players this helps, in order:
- Backlund
- Mangiapane
- Gallagher
- Caufield
- Toffoli
- Mike Hoffman
Fantasy Players this hurts, in order:
- Coleman
- Monahan
- Ritchie