The New Jersey Devils' search to bolster their lineup ahead of the trade deadline apparently does not mean they will be trading their leading goal-scorer.
“I’m not shopping Tyler Toffoli,” said Devils GM Fitzgerald in a press conference after firing head coach Lindy Ruff. “Tyler and I sat together in L.A. We had a great talk. Tyler knows how much I’d like to bring him back, but unfortunately right now there’s a possible term difference. That doesn’t mean we can’t revisit this past the deadline, if he’s still here, or in the off-season.
“But the reality is teams have called on him and what a return looks like, I wouldn’t be giving away a player, my leading scorer, that’s for sure, just to gain future assets. But the reality is those future assets could help us down the road.”
Toffoli, who leads the Devils with 26 goals in 60 games, is a pending unrestricted free agent, finishing off a four-year, $17-million contract he signed with the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 13, 2020.
Toffoli, 31, was acquired by the Devils on June 27, 2023, from the Calgary Flames for forward Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
The Devils are eight points out of a playoff spot, trailing the Philadelphia Flyers in the Metropolitan Division and the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning for a wild-card berth.
3:27
