Toffoli: A welcome arrival

MONTREAL - Hockey is the epitome of a team-based sport. Prior to every goal, there's usually a big save at the other end of the ice, or a fantastic pass to set up a prime scoring opportunity.

And while no analyst will deny the value of a solid goaltender or top-tier playmaker, it's impossible to deny the most crucial component of every offensive system: the sniper.
As the rarest commodity in the NHL, the sniper is incredibly difficult to acquire. He rarely hits the market, and when he does, teams are wise to strike with the same speed and accuracy the sniper uses to score goals in the NHL.
Take Tyler Toffoli, for example.
He may not be known as one of the league's best goal-scorers, but the numbers simply do not lie. Very few NHL players are producing goals at a higher rate than Toffoli this season, who, as of April 28, has managed to score 25 goals in just 45 games. Only Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Miko Rantanen, and Brad Marchand have outscored Toffoli in that time frame, though it should be noted that all four forwards have played significantly more than the Canadiens forward.
If we tie the goals into their ice time, Toffoli's results, which are already quite impressive, shine brighter than every single player in the NHL, except one.

Valid through May 4, 2021
Given we're living in a salary cap world, we simply cannot ignore the costs associated with goal scoring. Again, we established there's more to hockey than just scoring goals, but it's also true that goals come at a premium in the NHL.
Unless that is, you just signed Toffoli to an incredibly reasonable contract.

Valid through May 4, 2021
5-on-5 dominance
If we even the playing field a little by removing the power play, Toffoli's results once again jump to the top of the NHL, and it's not just his impressive goal-scoring rate that stands out, given the gap between Toffoli and the other top goal-scorers in the NHL shrinks significantly.
But even if we removed the goals from the equation, Toffoli would be making a clear positive impact on his team's results every time he's on the ice.
The Canadiens have controlled over 55 percent of the shots and scoring chances throughout Toffoli's shifts, in addition to controlling the majority of the goals.
He also ranks first among Canadiens forwards in shots, individual scoring chances, as well as rush attempts, where he uses his fantastic release to fool goaltenders on a regular basis.

What's more, compared to the league average, when Toffoli is on the ice, the Canadiens are expected to control 13.3 more goals (xGF%), as well as allow 5.1 percent fewer expected goals against (xGA%) according to HockeyViz.com.
Simply put, Toffoli doesn't just make a significant impact at one end of the rink. He's generating so much offense that his presence on the ice immediately turns the tide defensively, as well, alleviating the pressure on both his defencemen and goaltender.
We often throw the term "200-foot forward" around with reckless abandon, but in Toffoli's case, it's much more than just a buzzword: it's factual.
Seamless fit
Toffoli brings all the elements necessary for a star player to make an immediate impact with his team, that much is clear.
But there's something to be said about his ability to seamlessly fit into a team system that was established long before his arrival.
Of course, it takes talent, which can be found in abundance when evaluating Toffoli's gameplay.
But more importantly, it takes intelligence and adaptability.
And it takes a certain level of confidence from the team to place the player in a situation conducive to scoring.

Toffoli took care of the former, whereas the Canadiens were happier to oblige with the latter, given their need for pure goal-scorers in the lineup.
"The team having a lot of confidence in me," Toffoli said. "To be put out there in key situations gives you that confidence. Just from the start of the year I've been trying to work and stay consistent."
Toffoli will not win any fastest-skater competitions in the near future, and yet, he has generated the second-most rush attempts in the entire league this season, which goes to show his elite level of anticipation, yet another skill tied into his rather impressive hockey IQ.
"He wants to make the difference," said head coach Dominique Ducharme."He's such a smart player that he can really analyze well what he's doing from one game to another, to see what works. I don't need to talk to him that often. I really like his game."
The penultimate sentence in Ducharme's analysis brings us to the final point, and perhaps, one of the most crucial aspects of Toffoli's game.
Yes, he scores more goals than the majority of the NHL, and yes he charges much less than the few guys above him in the scoring race, and yes, he makes a ridiculous impact on the overall gameplay every time he's on the ice, both when it comes to the eye test and the much more crucial number test.
But if you ask most coaches what they want in a player, they'll begrudgingly admit they prefer players that do not require much maintenance, players that know exactly what they need to do, and work hard until they attain the results desired by the team, the coach, the fans and the player himself.
There's no denying it, Tyler Toffoli hasn't just defied all expectations, he's used his intelligence, skill and hard work to go above and beyond in every single possible situation, and he's doing so on one of the best-value contracts in the entire NHL, which explains why he's quickly becoming a fan-favourite in Montreal.
Or maybe it's simply all the goals he scores.
Any way you cut it, Toffoli's arrival in Montreal couldn't have come at a better time.
5v5 statistics via NaturalStatTrick.com, Salary Cap information via Capfriendly.com, Expected Goals data via HockeyViz.com