Mike Hoffman Is Not What He Used To Be
Mike Hoffman was always a guy I liked when he played in Ottawa. He was a streaky left-winger with a dangerous shot who could improve almost any power-play. As an Islanders fan, he used to be a name that I cried out for as the team’s top-6 continually struggled. Now, it’s safe to say things have changed. The 31-year old is off the Montreal as the Stanley Cup finalists needed a replacement for Tomas Tatar. The Habs signed Hoffman to a 3-year, $13.5 million deal which is meh at the moment for me. He will still get you points and should do OK in year one. However, this is not a contract that I think will age well.
Offense Only?
Hoffman is still a good scoring winger. Despite that truth, his production did tail off a little in 2020-21 with the St. Louis Blues. He was good for 17 goals and 36 points this past season. Not shabby considering that he only played in 52 games during the shortened season. That was good for 0.69 points per game. It was a considerable dip, however, from his 2019-2020 campaign with the Florida Panthers. He scored 59 points in 69 games, which was 0.86 points per game. If this trend continues, things may not look pretty in Montreal. Furthermore, Hoffman has never been known for his defensive abilities. At 6-foot 180 pounds, he has also not been a standout player physically as well. Furthermore, it is off the ice is where some problems may lie.
You Good Mrs. Hoffman?
This does not directly link into Hoffman’s play on the ice, but it is worth mentioning. His exit from Ottawa was a cold one, as reports surfaced that Monika Caryk, Hoffman’s fiancee, harrassed Erik Karlsson’s wife online. There were some pretty vulgar comments regarding the Karlssons’ stillborn child in March of 2018 and wishes that someone would end the former Norris-winner’s career via injury. The situation got so bad that Mike’s agent needed to step in and announce that the team should trade either Karlsson or Hoffman. They ended up trading both in 2018 as Hoffman ended up in Florida and Karlsson exited his prime as a San Jose Shark.
Mike Hoffman is overrated. He is just a name people remember from the Senators’ run to the 2017 Eastern Conference Final. His best years are more than likely behind him, and it would not surprise me if the Canadiens end up regretting this deal. He did have a down year in St. Louis but appears to be exiting his prime. Outside of putting up some points and looking good on the powerplay, there is not much else he does.
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