Slumping winger Hoffman takes trade talk in stride
Senators owner wants to cut costs as playoff-bound teams seeks offence
DETROIT Mike Hoffman would have to be either blind or deaf to have not seen or heard that his name is circulating in trade speculation.
Accordingly, the Ottawa Senators winger is not hiding from talk that he could be on the move, recognizing that change is likely when teams drop out of the race for the National Hockey League playoffs.
“It gets brought up and it gets talked about,” said Hoffman, who has nine goals and 15 assists in 37 games this season.
“You try to block it out as much as you can, but it’s impossible to fully block out. It’s part of the business that we’re in and things like this happen. It’s something that, as a player, you can’t control.”
Hoffman is in the second season of a four-year contract worth $20.75 million. He is making $5.65 million this season and will earn the same in 2018-19 and 2019-20, carrying a $5.1875-million salary cap hit.
During outdoor game weekend festivities in Ottawa in mid-December, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said he would have no choice but to cut payroll unless there was an increase in attendance.
While Hoffman is in a 13-game goal-scoring slump, he could provide a solid future return for the Senators because of the potential firepower he could add to a Stanley Cup contender.
The St. Louis Blues are believed to have an interest in Hoffman and Buffalo Sabres winger Evander Kane.
Hoffman insists he’s not thinking about trade talk during games, but there have been times where he’s clearly second-guessing himself, relinquishing what appear to be solid scoring chances by passing the puck. His last goal came on Dec. 1.
“The easiest way to deal with (trade talk) mentally is to tell yourself to go out there and do your job,” said Hoffman, who is coming off consecutive 27-, 29- and 26-goal seasons.
“We’re not playing with as much confidence or with the swagger that you need to be a good team, but obviously you’re not going out there ignoring the game and thinking about trades.”