Hoffman hits the road not once, but twice
Sens forward swapped to the Sharks, who in turn flip the embattled winger to Florida
The Ottawa Senators sent Mike Hoffman packing Tuesday. But he didn’t even get a chance to pack his bags before he was on the move again.
Before heading to Dallas for the draft this weekend at American Airlines Center, general manager Pierre Dorion sent Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks with minorleague player Cody Donaghey and a 2020 fifth-round pick in exchange for winger Mikkel Boedker, minor-league defenceman Julius Bergman and a sixthround pick in 2020.
Less than an hour later, Hoffman was flipped by San Jose to the Florida Panthers with a seventh-round pick in 2018 in exchange for a 2019 secondround pick, a 2018 fourth-round pick and 2018 fifth-round pick. While the 28-year-old Boedker will help the Senators with 109 goals in 618 career NHL games, this isn’t an upgrade for Ottawa. But the club wanted to get an NHL player in return for Hoffman as part of this deal because there may be more changes. Dorion didn’t have a whole lot of options where Hoffman was concerned after Postmedia reported last week Melinda Karlsson, the wife of Senators captain Erik Karlsson, had filed for an order of protection against Hoffman’s fiancee Monika Caryk for alleged cyberbullying. Dorion, who will address the media on Thursday, said in a statement released by the club that this move was made to help resolve issues on and off the ice. “Today’s trade showcases our determination to strengthen the future of the team by improving chemistry, leadership and character in the locker-room and on the ice. We are confident it is a step in the right direction for the long-term success of this organization,” said Dorion. Panthers GM Dale Tallon said he could never find a fit in his talks with Dorion because Ottawa wanted players in return and the Panthers weren’t prepared to go that route.
“We had been contacted last week and we kind of let it lie because we thought it was too big a price to pay,” Tallon said in a conference call. “I was contacted (Monday) night by San Jose asking if I had any interest. We looked at the deal and we felt that this would be the perfect fit for our team.
“He’s 28, he can score, he can skate and he’s got a great shot. It’ll be a great fit for our team. We missed the playoffs by a point and I thought we needed to add some offence along with some speed and skill to our lineup and this turns out to be the fit for us.” Hoffman has two years left on his contract with a cap hit of about US$5.2 million, while Boedker has two years at $4 million per season remaining, so there will be some cap savings. The Senators are hopeful Boedker can help provide offence while playing well at both ends of the ice because Hoffman isn’t known for his defensive game. “Mikkel Boedker is a competitive, versatile, two-way forward who can play both wings,” added Dorion. “He has a track record of playing his best hockey in the most important games, including the playoffs and internationally. His skill set — in particular his speed — along with his veteran leadership fits with our vision for the team.”
Tallon said he did a background check on Hoffman before making the deal and had a chat with his agent Mike Liut. He never made the same offer to the Senators that closed the deal with the Sharks.
“We did our homework and we discussed it with a lot of people and we feel that’s in the past,” said Tallon. “We’re very confident that he’ll be embraced by our team and their wives and girlfriends.
“We have a strong culture down here now and talking with Mike and all the parties, it will work out to our benefit.” Tallon added: “I know what Pierre was asking for and I don’t think we really had a match. We kind of put it aside and we rekindled it late (Monday) . ... It wasn’t the right fit for the players.” Tallon said he knows the importance of having a good atmosphere off the ice.
“It’s important. We have a young group, we have a great room and our wives and girlfriends really got along great last year,” Tallon said. “That has to have some sort of impact, but they get along better when the team wins more.”
This was a situation that had to be dealt with by Ottawa and it would have been difficult for Hoffman to remain in this market.