Toffoli talks about development camp

This is the end of a big 12-plus-month period for Tyler Toffoli. Last June, he was drafted in the second round by the Kings. Then, upon his return to junior hockey, with the OHL’s Ottawa 67s, Toffoli totaled 57 goals (most in the league) and 108 points (tied for most in the league), an improvement of 20 goals and 29 points over his previous season. Now, Toffoli, 19, returns for his second development camp with the Kings. Toffoli has one season of junior-hockey eligibility remaining, and today he talked about this week’s camp and his overall progress…

Question: How has the camp experience been like for you so far?

TOFFOLI: “It’s been good. I’ve been here for two or three days already, so I’ve got my feet moving, my legs moving. It felt good out there in the first game, and hopefully I can keep going tomorrow.”

Question: You got some time in Manchester at the end of last season. What was that experience like?

TOFFOLI: “It was good. It was a huge experience. I just went in there hoping for the best. I got a lot of opportunity and it was a lot of fun. All the guys were really nice to me. Coming in so late in the season, they let me just step right in and play my game.”

Question: What was the biggest difference for you?

TOFFOLI: “I just think the overall skill, the bigger guys. It’s pretty much the same step I took going to junior hockey from playing minor hockey.”

Question: Does this help in terms of getting to know the other guys, learning what is expected from you?

TOFFOLI: “You just want to come in here and show the progress you’re making. There hasn’t really been much summer so far. You have to work as hard as you can to come in here in the best shape possible. You’re really working hard so you can come into the main camp and make even more of an impression.”

Question: What is your goal for the main camp?

TOFFOLI: “Obviously I want to make the team, so I’m just going to work my hardest throughout the rest of the summer, get myself into shape and do everything possible so I can play with the Kings.”

Question: You opened some eyes with that goal total last season. Did you even exceed your own expectations, or did you know you had that in you?

TOFFOLI: “As the season went on, I just wanted to get more and more. Obviously I went into the season hoping to get more than 37, which I had the year before. I beat that, and if I go back, my goal is going to be (to top) 57. You just want to get better as each year goes by.”

Question: Was it just a natural maturation, or was there anything in your game that stepped up?

TOFFOLI: “I think just being in better shape, that’s all it was. In my second year of junior, I wasn’t in the best shape and I still did pretty well. I just want to get myself in better shape. That’s just what my game really needs to be improved on. … The NHL isn’t just skill. The best guys in the league are the hardest workers in the league. You look at a guy like (Sidney) Crosby. He’s probably the hardest worker in the league, and he’s the best player. You just want to work as hard as you can and make as much of an impression as you can.”

Question: In there anything in particular the Kings wanted you to improve on in the last year?

TOFFOLI: “They didn’t really tell me much. They knew that I knew what I had to work on. It was pretty simple, to work out, work on my skating and just improve my whole game. I scored a lot of goals last year, but there’s always room for improvement, to work on my shot and work on everything you can.”