Los Angeles Kings‘ 4th year center Tyler Toffoli(73) last played a minor league game in late-ish 2013/2014 with former farm team Manchester Monarchs.
He actually started the first month of the season with the affiliate before being recalled despite putting up his first pair of NHL goals and 3 assists in 10 contests through the lockout shortened campaign and another 2 tallies and 4 helpers in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The 6’1″ 200 lbs. forward with a knack for the net was up and down on three occasions in sophomore year, which was maybe a little odd considering he posted 12 goals and 17 assists in 62 games with a +21 rating, then 7 goals and 7 assists in 26 postseason match ups en route to the 2014 Stanley Cup Championship.
That finally would be all the convincing the parent club needed as in 2014/2015 he skated a 76 game schedule with a career high 23 goals, 26 assists and 49 points and again had a monster +25 plus/minus on a non-playoff squad.
Signed to a huge 2-year extension payday before his restricted free agency kicked in, he has become a go-to-guy in 2015/2016 and looks to eclipse his scoring best from last year 20 goals already in only half a season’s work.
The 23-year has all real positives in his stats but the phenomenal +72 he owns on ice is crazy accountability, while marking up the score sheet big.
He should be a future Kings‘ prize draft pick for many years to come.
Tyler Toffoli(26) Manchester Monarchs
Los Angeles Kings‘ 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft (#47 overall) rookie center Tyler Toffoli(26) has yet to realize an NHL call-up quite yet but it has to be imminent, unless all the players on the parent club perform well and stay healthy. He was one of the last skaters to be reassigned to start the shortened season.
He’s 2nd in scoring for AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs with 35 points, leading the team with 21 goals and a +15 plus/minus. He was also selected to play in the 2013 AHL All-Star Game and collected a goal and an assist in the heart-breaking Eastern Conference loss.
The 6’1″ 194 lbs. forward had three outstanding final three years of junior hockey and even led the highly competitive OHL in scoring for 2010/2011.
He’s signed to a three-year entry level deal that keeps him with the Kings through the 2015 season.
There’s little doubt that the 20-year old is going to blossom into a full-time NHL player but he’ll have to continue to excel on the farm and wait for his turn to prove he can step it up.