3 recently traded forwards the NY Islanders must target in NHL free agency

Tyler Toffoli, W/Winnipeg Jets

Another older player whose AAV should continue to dip as he heads into his age-32 season, Tyler Toffoli could ignite the Islanders scoring units better than anyone else listed in this article. Toffoli was one of the few bright spots earlier this year on the New Jersey Devils, scoring 26 goals in 61 games and putting up 44 total points.

He kept up his pace following a trade to the Winnipeg Jets, something that was reflected in his 14.0 shooting percentage, which sat just 0.5 percentage points under what he achieved with the Devils. Overall, he had seven goals and 11 points in his 18 appearances, plus an additional two goals in five playoff games. 

Like the Isles, the Jets weren’t a playoff-bound team known for their scoring, as they finished a modest 15th place in the NHL with 259 goals. Toffoli debuted for the Jets on March 11th, and in their final 19 games of the year (Toffoli missed one of them), they logged 66 goals, good for 3.47 per contest, indicating his presence helped what was then an ultra-mediocre Winnipeg scoring unit. 

Toffoli would also add a little defense, and considering the year Ilya Samsonov struggled through, the latter would likely welcome him to Long Island. He can be a physical player, having averaged over a hit per game in Newark, and Toffoli also recorded a half-takeaway per game while in Manitoba. 

At 5-on-5, his on-ice save percentage wasn’t awful, considering the goaltenders he had to play in front of in New Jersey, and it sat at 89.1. This isn’t saying Toffoli is a sensational two-way player, but his game also isn’t purely based on offense.