Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Kings came into the offseason needing to lock up their current core long term more than needing to make any real addition to a roster that has won a Stanley Cup title and reached the Western Conference Finals in the last two seasons. They likely accomplished that.
Part of the reason that they didn’t need to make too many additions to the current roster is the fact that they do have some young talent ready to break through, particularly up on the forward ranks. We saw a preview of that when Tyler Toffoli got the call last season.
Reviews on what Toffoli’s ceiling could actually be are a bit mixed, but there’s little doubt that the Kings have a supremely talented offensive player with the young forward. He was able to come up and make an impact last season, at least helping to generate offensive opportunities, even if he didn’t put up much of anything in terms of his actual numbers.
Toffoli appeared in 10 games for the Kings last season, contributing five points to the equation. He was scratched early in the postseason, but appeared to improve as the playoffs wore on, as he chipped in some points in the Western Conference Finals, including four points in the final four games of LA’s playoff run.
With the Kings continuing to need offense, Toffoli is likely going to get a shot in the top six for the Kings, perhaps next to Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, where he spent time last season. He has a nose for the net and has shown throughout his minor league career that he can put up some serious goal totals. He can play the physical game as well. He has the skill set to be an offensive weapon, and should do so with the Kings this season.
