"There were a couple teams [interested], which is a good thing," Toffoli said Tuesday. "[Talks] were going back and forth for about a week, throughout the weekend especially, then things picked up two nights ago. Talked with my agent (Pat Brisson), we wanted to push for this. A deal got done early in the morning [Monday]. Throughout my career, I've always done two-, three-year deals. Being able to get a little more term was more important for myself and my family."
The 28-year-old forward scored 44 points (24 goals, 20 assists) in 68 games with the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings last season, including 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 10 games after he was traded to the Canucks on Feb. 17, and four points (two goals, two assists) in seven postseason games.
"They didn't really have a whole lot of conversations with us," Toffoli said about the Canucks. "At the time, it was frustrating, but thinking about it now, everything happens for a reason. Coming to Montreal, being part of this team, I'm really excited for it."
Selected by Los Angeles in the second round (No. 47) of the 2010 NHL Draft, Toffoli has scored 300 points (145 goals, 155 assists) in 525 regular-season NHL games and 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 54 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He scored 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 26 playoff games to help the Kings win the Stanley Cup in 2014.
The Canadiens also traded for goalie Jake Allen (Sept. 2), defenseman Joel Edmundson (Sept. 12) and forward Josh Anderson (Oct. 7).
"My decision, coming to Montreal, just knowing the fan base and how passionate they are," Toffoli said. "Look at the players on the team and what they've done this offseason already with who they've added to what I already think is a good team, it's really exciting. It's an exciting time to be a Canadien."
NHL.com columnist Dave Stubbs contributed to this report
