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On a day off for the Montreal Canadiens, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton decided to pull the trigger on the first significant deal since their arrival by sending Tyler Toffoli to Calgary for prospect Emil Heineman, forward Tyler Pitlick (Rem and Rhett’s cousin), a first-round pick at the 2022 draft (which is top-10 protected) and a 5th round pick in the 2023 draft. Should Calgary’s first round pick this year be a top 10 one, the Flames will have the option to send their 1st round pick in 2023 and a 4th round pick in 2024 to the Canadiens instead.
According to multiple sources, Emil Heineman is the masterpiece in this deal. A second-round pick by the Panthers in 2020 (43rd overall), Heineman currently plays in the Swedish league and has gathered 31 points and 38 penalty minutes in 90 games. He’s a 6-foot-1 and 185 lbs left-winger who has yet to sign an NHL contract. The Canadiens have until June 1, 2024, to sign him to an NHL deal. While I’ve not seen him play, there is some interesting footage making the rounds on social media right now.
Interesting footage #gohabsgo https://t.co/7m4pOIneTp
— Karine Hains (@KarineGHG) February 14, 2022
As for Tyler Pitlick, he’s pretty much the salary dump the Flames needed to make to have room for Tyler Toffoli under the cap ceiling. He was drafted in the second round by the Oilers back in 2010 and he has played 311 games in the league with 6 different teams amassing 47 goals, 39 assists for 86 points as well as 80 penalty minutes. He’s currently on the last year of a 2-year contract and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer. That’s the 3rd Pitlick in the Habs organization as he is the cousin of Rem and Rhett. Make no mistake, this is a trade for the future so it’s way too early to say if it’s a good trade, it all hinges on how Heineman develops and how good the picks turn out to be. Remember when the Canadiens traded Weise and Fleischman to the Hawks for Danault and a 2nd (who turned into Romanov)? That turned out quite well, didn’t it? Let’s be patient.
I think the Habs are confused the “Gotta catch them all… tagline applies to Pokemons not Pitlicks! #GoHabsGo #needtolaugh
— Karine Hains (@KarineGHG) February 14, 2022
While many (including myself) would have liked to keep Toffoli around, this move at least gives us some clarity in the sense that it indicates a full rebuild. You do not trade a guy with 2 more years on a cap friendly contract if you intend to compete in the very near future. It’s a shame because Toffoli was a good player and he meshed very well with Nick Suzuki on the ice, had a close friendship with Suzuki, Evans and Caufield on top of being one of the rare free agents who chose to come to Montreal, but the fact is that you don’t draw flies with vinegar and the Canadiens cannot just get rid of the players perceived as dead wood by the fans. Some are speculating that the return could have been better had the Habs waited nearer to the deadline, but that’s a dangerous game. With the Canadiens’ luck this year, no one is safe from injury as we saw with Ben Chiarot last weekend and clearly, HuGo wants to have as many first-round picks as they can for this summer’s draft.
Toffoli’s stint in Montreal will only have lasted 89 games during which he gathered 70 points, but he still managed to become a fan favorite. Many will remember him for his series clinching goal against the Jets last year which propelled the Habs to the Conference final against the Golden Knights and for so many “Tea pot Toffoli… pictures on social media, a running gag which his wife started herself. Personally, I feel this is a big loss for the Canadiens since Toffoli actually wanted to be here and seemed like the right kind of veteran to surround the kids with, especially since he was close to several of them, but it seems that he just didn’t fit in the rebuilt timeframe Gorton and Hughes had in mind. Brace yourselves Habs fans, this is not the last fan favorite who will hit the road in the coming weeks or months.
Ty and I were drawing & guessing our memories of 2021 and this drawing of his needed an actual moment 😆 @tytoff16 #NYE2021 pic.twitter.com/opIluPxEGb
— Cat (Belanger) Toffoli (@catbtoffoli) January 1, 2022
Lol â¤ï¸ you Habs Twitter fam. Thank you to the person or family who made/sent this gift, hopefully you see this! Made me giggle 😆 pic.twitter.com/6fQLQCWcKc
— Cat (Belanger) Toffoli (@catbtoffoli) June 26, 2021
Selon de multiples sources, Emil Heineman est la pièce maitresse de cette transaction. Un choix de 2e ronde des Panthers en 2020 (43e au total), Heineman joue présentement en Suède et il a amassé 31 points et 38 minutes de punition en 90 matchs. L’allier gauche fait 6 pieds et un pouce et pèse 185 lb et n’a pas encore signé de contrat de la LNH. Les Canadiens ont donc jusqu’au 1er juin 2024 pour le signer, ce qui leur laisse amplement de temps. Bien que je ne l’aie pas vu jouer, il y a présentement des vidéos intéressants qui circule sur les médias sociaux.
Interesting footage #gohabsgo https://t.co/7m4pOIneTp
— Karine Hains (@KarineGHG) February 14, 2022
Quant à Tyler Pitlick, il n’est inclus dans la transaction qu’en raison du fait que les Flames se devaient de faire de la place sur la masse salariale afin de pouvoir absorber le contrat de Tyler Toffoli. Il a été sélectionné en 2e ronde par les Oilers en 2010 et il a 311 matchs d’expérience dans le circuit Bettman avec 6 équipes différentes amassant au passage 47 buts et 39 passes pour 86 points en plus de 80 minutes de punition. Il est présentement dans la dernière année d'un contrat de 2 ans et il sera un joueur autonome sans restriction cet été. Il est le 3e Pitlick à joindre l’organisation Montréalaise puisqu’il est le cousin de Rem et Rhett. Ne vous méprenez pas, cet échange e nest un pour le future et il est beaucoup trop tôt pour dire s’il s’agit d’un bon échange, tout dépendra de la façon dont Heineman se développera et de la qualité des joueurs sélectionnés avec les choix de repêchage. Vous vous souvenez quand le CH avait échangé Weise et Fleischmann aux Blackhawks en retour de Philip Danault et d’un choix de 2e ronde (qui est devenu Alexander Romanov) ? Cet échange a bien tourné non? Soyons patients.
I think the Habs are confused the “Gotta catch them all… tagline applies to Pokemons not Pitlicks! #GoHabsGo #needtolaugh
— Karine Hains (@KarineGHG) February 14, 2022
Le passage de Toffoli à Montréal n’aura duré que 89 matchs pendant lesquels il a amassé 70 points, mais il a tout de même réussi à devenir un favori de la foule. Plusieurs se souviendront surtout de son but qui avait expédié les Jets en vacances et le CH en finale d’association le printemps dernier et des multiples photos de « Teapot Toffoli » sur les médias sociaux, une blague alimentée par sa femme avec les fans. Personnellement, je trouve que c’est quand même une grosse perte pour l’équipe puisque Toffoli voulait être à Montréal et qu’il est le genre de vétérans avec lequel tu veux entourer les jeunes, surtout qu’il était proche de plusieurs d’entre eux, mais il semble qu’il ne cadrait pas avec l’échéancier de reconstruction d’Hughes et Gorton. Préparez-vous fans de la Sainte-Flanelle, ce n’est pas le dernier favori de la foule qui lèvera les voiles dans les prochaines semaines ou mois…
Ty and I were drawing & guessing our memories of 2021 and this drawing of his needed an actual moment 😆 @tytoff16 #NYE2021 pic.twitter.com/opIluPxEGb
— Cat (Belanger) Toffoli (@catbtoffoli) January 1, 2022
Lol â¤ï¸ you Habs Twitter fam. Thank you to the person or family who made/sent this gift, hopefully you see this! Made me giggle 😆 pic.twitter.com/6fQLQCWcKc
— Cat (Belanger) Toffoli (@catbtoffoli) June 26, 2021