During this NHL pause, GM’s and players may get a longer and deeper look at their potential to re-sign with their respective organizations. One example is Tyler Toffoli and the Vancouver Canucks.
Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet recently examined the potential that Canucks GM Jim Benning can get Toffoli to re-sign in Vancouver, something Benning has publicly stated he is interested in doing.
Toffoli doesn’t seem as confident this is a slam-dunk decision. He says he enjoyed his time in Vancouver but hasn’t really thought about what comes next and with the uncertainty surrounding NHL salary caps for next season, he’s found himself in a somewhat awkward spot when it comes to cashing in over the summer.
It doesn’t sound like Toffoli has ruled out Vancouver, but it appears he’d like to leave his options open. He notes:
“The guys treated me awesome, the fans were great, the coaching staff … everything was awesome. When that time comes that I’ve got to start thinking about all this — and honestly, I haven’t really thought about any of it — we’ll go from there.
Toffoli added that, to this point, conversations haven’t really taken place. They certainly haven’t been about tabling a new deal. He explains:
“The only conversation that we’ve really had is to see where this season is going to go. That’s not my decision, where the cap’s going to go. Like I said, nobody could have ever imagined this happening and this scenario.”
Toffoli, along with many other pending free agents, aren’t sure what the future holds for their free agency, moreover, what happens with the rest of this season. There was talk recently from New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin that many players believe the NHL will ask them to take a salary cut. If so, what does that mean for free agents trying to cash in during a limited window?
Toffoli’s best bet may be to sign a short-term, one-year extension with the Canucks, get his value up as high as he can and hope he hits a home-run next summer. This is, of course, assuming the Canucks don’t offer him what he needs or wants now. They’ve had an ability to overpay guys during past free agency periods.
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