The Los Angeles Kings made their first move of the offseason this week, adding forward Viktor Arvidsson from the Nashville Predators. Arvidsson is a solid addition for the Kings but we can also likely expect to see more moves made by the team this offseason to become more competitive. After giving up assets for Arvidsson, there’s a chance we could see the team turn to free agency for their next addition.
The Kings need to add scoring at the top of the lineup but when looking at the free agent class, there aren’t actually too many forwards the Kings would be likely to target. Alex Ovechkin and David Krejci are highly unlikely to leave their respective teams and are also now in their mid-30s, while Taylor Hall and Gabriel Landeskog will likely get long-term deals, and Landeskog specifically would probably require a lot of money to be drawn away from Colorado.
One player that could bet a fit with the Kings, however, is Mike Hoffman. Turning 32 years old in November, Hoffman likely isn’t going to get a long-term deal and there’s a good chance we could see him get something in the three-year range. This could work well for the Kings, considering that by the time key prospects like Quinton Byfield and Alex Turcotte have developed in the NHL and need new contracts, Hoffman’s deal will be off the books, providing more cap flexibility.
Hoffman scored 17 goals and 36 points in 52 games with the St. Louis Blues this season, a pace of 27 goals and 57 points per 82 games. He also had a pace of at least 30 goals and 70 points per 82 in each of the two previous seasons, while playing with the Florida Panthers.
Part of that drop in production can also be attributed to Hoffman taking a smaller role with the Blues than he had in the Panthers, especially on the power play. If he joined the Kings, he would be a key part of power play and would be counted on to drive offense at the top of the lineup, meaning there’s a chance we see those numbers bounce back a bit. Even if not, adding a forward who's capable of putting up 55-60 points without giving up more than cap space would be a win for Los Angeles.
The Kings already have most of their roster under contract but still have nearly $15.5 million in cap space remaining, with Andreas Athanasiou and Trevor Moore as the only key restricted free agents still in need of new contracts. While the team will have some key free agents to sign next offseason, they’ll also gain nearly $12 million in space from contracts and retained salary coming off the books, meaning signing Hoffman shouldn’t have any major cap implications on the Kings.
Hoffman would provide the Kings with another high-end forward, which they desperately need after finishing 27th in the league in goals. If the Kings could get him for a reasonable price on a short to mid-term deal, it would go a long way in helping the team push for the playoffs.
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Would you be in favour of the Kings targeting Mike Hoffman?
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