The San Jose Sharks have reportedly signed 32-year-old right-winger Tyler Toffoli to a four-year contract worth $6 million each season per Chris Johnston. In terms of overall value, the deal is worth $24 million.
Despite being somewhat aged at this point, Toffoli should still have some good hockey left in him. He remains a goal-scoring threat in the NHL, burying 30 goals in back-to-back seasons.
What Toffoli Brings
Toffoli is a smart player who is effective in both net-front situations and on the rush. He doesn’t seem to rely on one method to contribute offensively, which should make him an effective top-six player even at this stage of his career. While he certainly benefitted from playing with a skilled New Jersey Devils team in 2023-24 for 61 games, he is a player who can create his own luck.
Toffoli scored 33 goals and 22 assists for 55 points in 79 games combined with the Devils and Winnipeg Jets, doing so on 14.4 percent shooting efficiency. Perhaps we can expect that number to go down a little, but overall his offensive upside is still there. With the Jets in the playoffs, he actually shot at an even better 25 percent rate with two goals in five contests against the Colorado Avalanche.
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While Toffoli hasn’t graded out the best defensively, he has shown some ability in that department in the past. Overall, he seems to be a low-risk signing for what he provides.
Fit with San Jose
While the Sharks are rebuilding, they at least needed a bit of talent on their roster. With young forwards throughout their offense which will likely include 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, San Jose needed some veteran support. Not only does Toffoli have a ton of experience in the regular season and the playoffs, but he is actually still a solid top-six player.
This contract is unlikely to hurt the Sharks in any way considering the fact that they have so much cap space over their next few seasons to toy around with. As long as they are in a rebuild, this deal is not a bad one.
