It’s early, but the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks put themselves in the pole position for the trade deadline’s biggest deal with a Monday blockbuster that saw Tyler Toffoli travel north in exchange for Tyler Madden, Tim Schaller, and a second-round pick.

As far as deadline deals go, this one is pretty straight forward, with an unambiguous buyer and seller on each side of the table. Expect to see more of its ilk between now and February 24th.

The Canucks, after five years spent at or near the bottom of the league standings, have capitalized on a vulnerable Pacific Division and thrust themselves into the playoff picture. A pair of potentially regular season-ending injuries to Brock Boeser and Josh Leivo threaten that progress, and Canucks General Manager Jim Benning isn’t willing t