All indications are that Calgary did not choose the right player from the Canadiens
On February 15th, Kent Hughes made his first major trade by sending Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Emil Heineman, a 1st round pick in 2022 (the 26th overall) and a 5th round pick in 2023.
Toffoli's services were not enough for the Flames to win the battle of Alberta in the second round of the playoffs. If the CH veteran had a good start in Alberta, he lost his efficiency at the end of the season and especially during the spring tournament.
On the airwaves of 91.9 Sports this Friday, Louis Jean questioned whether Tyler Toffoli was the best choice in the CH organization for the Flames' needs. Jean said that, based on his recent impressive playoff performances, Artturi Lehkonen would have been a better fit for the Alberta team.
Lehkonen is currently proving that he is much more than a simple support player. In his second Association Finals appearance in as many years, he has managed to make his mark with the Avalanche and be an indispensable player for head coach Jared Bednar.
In addition to his 8 points in 12 playoff games, he brings a nice dimension to his new team. It's not for nothing that the Finnish forward has always been appreciated by his coaches over the years, and it seems that his new boss in Colorado approves.
Seeing a well-supported Lehkonen with the Avalanche, then, makes us wonder what the Flames' end of the season would have been like with him and not with Toffoli. We agree that Lehkonen would have brought another dimension compared to what the offensive aspect of Toffoli brings. A dimension that the Flames drastically missed during the series against the Oilers...
Everything indicates that Calgary did not choose the right player for the Tricolore, Toffoli is excellent, but for their needs, the right choice for them was probably Lehkonen.
| POLL | ||
Given Lehkonen's success, do you think the Flames would have been better served with him? | ||
| Yes | 181 | 51.9 % |
| No, Toffoli is still the better option | 168 | 48.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
