Canucks GM Explains How Tyler Toffoli Got Away

When Tyler Toffoli signed a four-year deal this past offseason, nobody in the league was surprised. When they saw it was for $4.25 per season and was with the Montreal Canadiens, well that came as a surprise, as the initial reaction around the league was, 'why wouldn't the Canucks keep him it at that price'?

Turns out, Vancouver just ran out of time. 

Toffoli is absolutely on fire to open the 2020-21 NHL season as the Canadiens winger has nine goals in 10 games and 13 points. Including several goals against his former team as the newfound Canadian division has made the Canucks pay for their mistake of letting him go.

If you ask Toffoli's former teammate, Elias Pettersson, he like the rest of the Canucks are sick and tired of seeing Toffoli score against them:

Elias Pettersson on Tyler Toffoli: He's a great player and an awesome guy, but of course, it sucks that he scored those goals against us. It is what it is. We have to play him tighter. #Canucks @Sportsnet650

— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) February 3, 2021

The media recently caught up with Canucks general manager, Jim Benning who had this to say about why the team let Toffoli slip away:

It was our intention to try and get him signed, and if we could have had a little more time, we could have tried to work through that. It got to a point where I know Tyler wanted to come back, and we were trying to figure it out. We kind of ran out of time with him getting offers and one he needed to take. We would have had to move money out.

The Canucks currently sit in 5th in the North Division, even though they have played three more games than most teams. Meanwhile the Canadiens, led by Toffoli are tied for the best record in the league.

Photo credit: Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire