Maple Leafs Burdened by imminent salary cap space issues and sitting outside of a playoff spot, the Lightning traded Boyle two days before the NHL trade deadline on February 27, 2017, to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forward Byron Froese and a conditional 2017 second-round draft pick. Boyle, who was on pace for his best season offensively with Tampa Bay, was in the final season of his three-year contract. Boyle's size, penalty killing abilities and faceoff skills were all major factors in leading the Maple Leafs to target the center. Boyle's playoff experience was also highly coveted (he had played the most playoff games of any player since 2011) by the team made up by a plethora of inexperienced rookies on the cusp of making the post-season. He switched to number 24 in Toronto as number 11 (which he wore in Tampa Bay) was taken by Zach Hyman. Boyle was slotted on the fourth line primarily centreing Matt Martin and Nikita Soshnikov (with Kasperi Kapanen filling in following a late season injury by Soshnikov). Boyle's offensive production declined as a result of the decreased ice time, but his faceoff abilities allowed the team to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in four years. He tallied two assists in the series against the top seeded Washington Capitals as the Maple Leafs fell in six games. New Jersey Devils As an unrestricted free agent, on July 1, 2017, Boyle signed a two-year, $5.1 million contract with New Jersey Devils. On November 1, 2017, Boyle played in his first game since his diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia, also his first game with the Devils, against the Vancouver Canucks just over a week after returning to practice. On November 9, he scored his first goal as a member of the Devils, as well as his first goal since his cancer diagnosis, against Cam Talbot of the Edmonton Oilers. "I've never cried after a goal before," Boyle told MSG during a first-intermission interview. "That's a great feeling. It's everything." On January 25, 2018, it was announced Boyle would replace Taylor Hall for the All-Star Game, the latter who suffered a hand injury. During the All-Star Skills Competition on January 27, Boyle finished second in the Accuracy Shooting challenge. At the end of the 2017–18 season, Boyle was selected as the Devils' nomination for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. On April 16,