Mike Hoffman will attend Edmonton Oilers training camp this fall on a professional tryout contract, the team announced on Wednesday morning. According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the decision to bring the winger to camp came after prospect Carl Berglund was injured during the Young Stars Classic in Penticton last weekend.
Edmonton looking for an extra body in camp with the injury to Carl Berglund in Penticton. They wanted to keep training camp numbers constant as projected – and in the meantime, Hoffman gets a look.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) September 18, 2024
Now 34 years old, Hoffman most recently played with the San Jose Sharks, scoring ten goals and 23 points over 66 games in 2023-24. The winger has played 745 games in his NHL career between the Sharks, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers, and Ottawa Senators and has racked up 228 goals and 487 points.
The Sens selected Hoffman in the fifth round of the 2009 NHL Draft and he broke through as a regular in their lineup during the 2014-15 season with 27 goals and 48 points in 79 games. Hoffman scored 104 goals and 224 points over 313 games over four full seasons with Ottawa but was traded following the team’s disastrous campaign in 2017-18.
Ottawa made a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2016-17 but the wheels fell off the following season and they went 28-43-11. After Hoffman was moved in the off-season, a story came out about internal chaos within the organization that involved the wives of the players.
The Senators were eager to deal Hoffman amid a dispute between him and his fiancee and team captain Erik Karlsson and his wife. Melinda Karlsson recently filed an order of protection against Hoffman’s fiancee alleging harassment and cyberbullying in the form of hundreds of derogatory online messages aimed at her and her husband.“Monika Caryk has uttered numerous statements wishing my unborn child dead,” Karlsson said in the sworn statement. The Karlssons’ first child was stillborn in March.Karlsson also claimed that Caryk “uttered that she wished I was dead and that someone should ‘take out’ my husband’s legs to ‘end his career.'” After the allegations came to light, the Senators said in a statement that it was investigating in cooperation with the NHL.Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion didn’t hide his reasoning for trading Hoffman.“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,” Dorion said. “We are confident it is a step in the right direction for the long-term success of this organization.”
Hoffman has moved around the league to a few different teams since leaving the Sens. He was originally moved to the Panthers in a three-team deal with the Sens and Sharks and had two very successful years in Florida, scoring 65 goals and 129 points in 151 games between 2018-19 and 2019-20.
After two years in Florida, Hoffman inked a one-year, $4 million deal with the St. Louis Blues and scored 17 goals and 36 points over 52 games in the shortened 2021 season. That netted him a three-year contract worth $4.5 million annually with the Canadiens the following off-season. Hoffman scored 19 goals and 69 points over 134 games in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and was moved to San Jose ahead of the 2023-24 season.
The Oilers have $945,833 in salary cap space even without Evander Kane on the Long-Term Injured Reserve, so they have the room to sign another player to an inexpensive contract. The team has also brought defenceman Trevis Dermott to training camp on a professional tryout contract.
