Canadiens Trade Toffoli To Flames For 1st, Pitlick And More

The Montreal Canadiens roster purge through the NHL trade market has begun. After weeks of being in the eye of NHL trade rumors, winger Tyler Toffoli is headed to the Calgary Flames to be reunited with Darryl Sutter.

According to Sportsnet Insider Elliotte Friedman, the Montreal Canadiens have traded Toffoli to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a 2022 first-round pick, 2023 fifth-round pick, forward Tyler Pitlick, and prospect Emil Heineman.

Friedman also noted that the first-round pick is top-ten protected. If the pick falls within the top 10, then Montreal will receive a 2023 first-rounder instead along with an added fourth-round pick from the Flames.

1st, 5th, Emil Heinemann and Pitlick to MON

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 14, 2022

2022 first is top-10 protected

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 14, 2022

Toffoli had nine goals and 17 assists in 37 games for the Montreal Canadiens this season. The 29-year-old, six-foot, 175-pound winger is in the second season of a four-year contract that carries a $4.2 million cap hit. Toffoli signed that contract prior to last season. He scored 28 goals and posted 44 points in 52 games last season, adding five goals and 14 points in 22 games as the Canadiens reached the Stanley Cup Final.

Prior to last season, Toffoli played seven-and-a-half seasons with the Los Angeles Kings to begin his NHL career before a trade to the Vancouver Canucks during the 2019-20 season. Toffoli will now be reunited with Flames head coach Darryl Sutter, who won the 2014 Stanley Cup with Toffoli as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings. The 2010 second-round pick, has 182 goals and 370 points in 614 career games with the Canadiens, Canucks, and Kings.

As for the players coming back to the Montreal Canadiens, Pitlick is also a 2010 second pick, as he was drafted 31st overall by the Edmonton Oilers. The 30-year-old six-foot-2, 200-pound center has two assists in 25 games this season. He has 47 goals and 39 assists in 311 games for the Oilers, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, and Arizona Coyotes. Pitlick is in the final year of a two-year contract that carries a $1.75 million cap hit. He is the older cousin of current Montreal Canadiens forward Rem Pitlick.

Heineman, 20, was selected by the Florida Panthers in the second round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft (43rd overall) and was acquired by the Flames as part of the return in the Sam Bennett trade last season. He is currently playing in his native Sweden and has yet to play professionally in North America.