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With the NHL draft just over two weeks away, trade talk is starting to pick up league-wide.
One player who has frequently popped up in rumors is Mike Hoffman.
The goal scoring winger was available at the deadline but nothing came to fruition. Some thought a strong finish alongside Matt Duchene on the top line, coupled with the fact he still has two years remaining on his deal, could see him stay put in Ottawa. That doesn't appear to be the case.
This from
Pierre LeBrun's latest at The Athletic:
My TSN colleague Darren Dreger reported on Insider Trading Wednesday that the expectation is that the goal-scoring winger will indeed be dealt and likely at or around the draft, the Senators getting lots of interest in him and looking for multiple pieces in return.
Hoffman, 28, has two more years left on his contract at a $5.18 million cap hit.
Los Angeles and Calgary are among the teams that spoke to Ottawa about Hoffman before the trade deadline this season, which doesn’t necessarily mean they will again. But it’s worth remembering that.
A few things to unpack here.
Though LeBrun didn't definitively say Los Angeles and/or Calgary are in on Hoffman again, I'm inclined to believe they are.
LA has been looking for another scorer for what feels like forever. They haven't addressed that yet. Until they do, they're going to have interest in players like Hoffman.
The same can be said about Calgary. They were looking for a scoring winger at the deadline. Not necessarily just for a playoff push, but for the long haul as well. If the Flames were interested in Hoffman a few months ago, there's no reason to believe they'd sour on him following a strong finish to the season. If anything, that should make him more attractive.
Now to the potential return. It'll take a good package, as it should for someone who ranks top-30 in 5v5 goals over the last four years and has averaged 26 per (in all situations) during that span.
With Erik Karlsson *likely* moving on this summer, one would think the Senators would want a defenseman who can play in the NHL as part of the return for Hoffman.
Maybe they'd target someone established like T.J. Brodie, who would save Ottawa ~$815,000 in each of the next two seasons. Not in terms of cap, but actual dollars. If they can plug a hole and save money, that's usually music to the ears of Eugene Melnyk.
Perhaps Ottawa would want to go even younger (and cheaper) and land a player like Rasmus Andersson or Oliver Kylington,
both of whom enjoyed fantastic seasons in Stockton, as part of a package. That would make more sense long-term – though it's worth noting the Sens don't have a 1st next year so they could be more inclined to search for immediate help.
Whatever the case, Hoffman won't come cheap. But he may just be worth paying up for.
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Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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