New Jersey Devils: 5 Right Wings To Target In Free Agency

Tyler Toffoli

If the Devils strike out on Dadonov, Tyler Toffoli would be an interesting backup option. He can score, but not nearly at the rate of Dadonov. The real problem with Toffoli is his major inconsistency.

For years, Toffoli seemed like he was the next great player for the Los Angeles Kings. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he turned 28 years old without ever hitting 60 points in a season. He has just one 30-goal season that came four years ago. We hear his name and think he made more contributions to that team because we’ve been hearing about him for so long.

Toffoli is still a good player, but at 28 years old he is what he is. Maybe he could one day hit the 60-point plateau, but beyond that would be a little too ambitious to expect. That doesn’t mean he’s not worth pursuing this offseason, especially with such a weak class of right wings.

Toffoli would immediately slot behind Kyle Palmieri on the Devils. Unlike Dadonov, he might not be the best player to pair with Jack Hughes and might be better suited with Travis Zajac. Hughes needs a player who can consistently score, and moving Nikita Gusev to Hughes’ wing. Of course, if the team is spending money on a free agent they ideally want them in the top six, but keeping a really good top nine might be more important in today’s NHL.

Toffoli is definitely better than some of the options the Devils have right now. His value is in a weird place, and it’s hard to figure out what he’s going to make this offseason. The Devils have the money to spend, but shouldn’t break the bank on this player.