Tyler Toffoli Improved His Two-Way Play In 2011-12 Without Sacrificing Offense

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EL SEGUNDO, CA — Left wings Dwight King and Jordan Nolan surprised everyone late last season by not only staying with the big club after they were recalled from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League in early February 2012, but also by playing a key role in the Los Angeles Kings making the playoffs, and winning the Stanley Cup just a little over two months ago.

With the two having “graduated” from the AHL, and with serious doubts that center Andrei Loktionov is capable of producing consistently at the National Hockey League level, primarily due to his lack of size and strength, one young player could very well be the Kings’ top forward prospect, even though he has not yet played at the professional level.

That player is none other than center/right wing Tyler Toffoli, who could be the forward prospect with greatest potential to make an impact at the NHL level for the Kings.

Last season, Toffoli, who was selected by the Kings in the second round (47th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, scored 52 goals and tallied 48 assists for 100 points, with a +31 plus/minus rating, and 22 penalty minutes in 65 regular season games with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League. Read more of this post