Montreal Canadiens trade top-line winger Tyler Toffoli to Calgary Flames

Feb. 14 (UPI) -- The Montreal Canadiens traded top-line winger Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames on Monday, the teams announced.

The Flames sent forward Tyler Pitlick, prospect Emil Heineman, a 2022 first-round draft pick and a 2023 fifth-round selection to the Canadiens in exchange for Toffoli, according to the team. The 2022 first-rounder is top-10 protected.

In addition, there was no salary retained in the deal. Toffoli is in the second season of a four-year, $17 million contract that he signed with the Canadiens as an unrestricted free agent in October 2020.

Toffoli ranked second in scoring for the last-place Canadiens this season, notching nine goals and 26 points across 37 games. Last year, Toffoli's 28 goals and 44 points during the regular season helped guide Montreal to an unexpected berth in the Stanley Cup Final.

The 29-year-old Toffoli enjoyed some of his best seasons with the Los Angeles Kings (2013-20) before the franchise traded him to the Vancouver Canucks in February 2020. He spent the remainder of that season in Vancouver before entering free agency.

Toffoli was a key offensive contributor during the Kings' Stanley Cup run in 2014 and has recorded multiple 20-plus goal seasons. His best season came in 2015-16, when he compiled career highs in goals (31), assists (27) and plus/minus rating (35).

The Canadiens, meanwhile, receive a solid fourth-liner in Pitlick and an intriguing prospect in Heineman, who was a second-round pick in 2020 by the Florida Panthers. Heineman was shipped to Calgary as part of a trade package involving Sam Bennett last season.