Being limited by the salary cap is almost always a bad thing, but sometimes it helps a team like the Los Angeles Kings to grind out some bargain contracts.
Maybe that wasn’t the case during the RFA negotiations with Tyler Toffoli, yet it sure feels like that considering the steal of a deal he signed with the Kings.
The Kings confirmed that Toffoli was re-signed for three years, $13.8 million (or a $4.6 million cap hit) on Wednesday.
Kings have agreed to terms w/ Tyler Toffoli on 3-year contract extension; contract will have AAV of $4.6 million. https://t.co/uvCht27GqU
— LA Kings PR (@LAKingsPR) June 7, 2017
GM Rob Blake & Co. came into this offseason with the challenge of restructuring a once-proud roster, but they also needed to find decent deals for two important RFA forwards in Toffoli and Tanner Pearson.
They accomplished that much with both, as Pearson’s deal run for four seasons at a very reasonable clip of $3.75 million per year. With that in mind, “That 70’s Line” of Jeff Carter, Toffoli, and Pearson costs about $13.6 million per season.
This is a heck of a deal, though a template might have been in place for high-value “bridge” deals considering the company he now keeps.
With #Kings Tyler Toffoli signed to 3 year extension at a $4.6M AAV, here are some of the most comparable contracts: https://t.co/0tidpmjETt pic.twitter.com/yDHejZbPtM
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) June 8, 2017
Now, that doesn’t mean that Blake’s job is done, but it’s a fantastic start. Cap Friendly places their cap room at a little less than $5.32 million after the Toffoli signing with 18 roster spots covered.