Montreal Canadiens: Mike Hoffman Signed to Three-Year, $4.5 Million AAV Deal

Well, just a few hours after the departure of long-time defensive center Philip Danault to the Los Angeles Kings, the Montreal Canadiens have already begun to patch that hole in the lineup, inking left winger Mike Hoffman to a three-year deal worth $4.5 million AAV.

A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Hoffman had spent this past season with the St. Louis Blues after being signed to a one-year, $4.5 million deal off a PTO out of training camp. A former fifth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2009 NHL Draft, Hoffman was one of many late-round steals by the Senators who would make up their brief run as one of the NHL’s perennial Stanley Cup contenders. Alongside current Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, Hoffman had to bide his time for four seasons in the AHL before getting his shot in the 2014-15 season.

Since then, Hoffman has managed 50 points or more in five of the last six seasons, with career highs of 36-34-70 totals in the 2018-19 season. After the Senators’ core began to fall apart and the push for a rebuild began, Hoffman was dealt to the Florida Panthers in a multi-team deal in the 2018 off-season, with numerous picks and one-time 8th overall pick Mikkel Boedker going the other way.

While his stay in Florida was brief, Hoffman has managed to produce at every stop of his career, and Montreal should be no different. In last year’s free agency period, the Canadiens were actually favourites to sign Hoffman before issues with the salary cap led to him going unsigned up until the start of training camp. While he battled through hot and cold stretches in St. Louis, Hoffman still managed 17-19-36 totals over 52 games, and should produce at a similar pace with the Canadiens.

In many ways, Hoffman is not too dissimilar from current Canadiens winger Tyler Toffoli, who was signed to (like Hoffman) a team-friendly deal with a sub $5 million AAV, and became one of the biggest surprises of the 2020-21 season, with 28-16-44 totals over 52 games. While it’s unlikely Hoffman or even Toffoli will be able to match that pace, Hoffman brings a lot of intriguing offensive qualities to the table. While his performance off the puck often leaves something to be desired, as evidence by his -24 rating in his first season with Florida in 2018-19, Hoffman is a reliable, proven offensive weapon.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed left-winger and former Ottawa Senators draft pick Mike Hoffman to a three-year deal worth $4.5 million AAV.

With great speed, a lethal release and soft hands for his 6′ tall, 182-pound frame, Hoffman’s beautiful finish off an aerial pass from current San Jose Sharks defender Erik Karlsson, was one of the best plays of 2016-17. In my opinion, this is a no-risk signing by the Canadiens, and one that carries a high amount of upside, potential, and proven ability. While Hoffman had an overall off campaign this past season, his consistent 50-point clip is reason enough to believe he can reach those heights in Montreal, and have no doubt in his ability to do so.

While Danault’s departure leaves a massive hole in Montreal’s defensive strategy upfront, Hoffman should at least be able to replace the offensive side of Danault’s game (when it was present), and could be a perfect complement to Toffoli on the wing, with a top prospect like Nick Suzuki down the middle. Running with the two on the powerplay at opposite circles ready to fire at any moment, and Montreal’s abilities on the man advantage could see a notable spike from seasons prior.

In what has been an expectedly quiet start to free agency for Montreal, with most of their major signings having been announced prior to Wednesday’s 12:00 PM start date, Hoffman is a surprise addition and one with who I have no complaints. As an avid follower of the Senators during those mid-2010’s glory days, Hoffman should bring those same qualities and possibly more to Montreal.

As for where he’ll slot into the lineup, expect for Hoffman to slot in on the third line with the potential to move up to the second line in case of injuries or a need to shake things up. In most cases, all Hoffman needs is someone to feed him a semi-decent pass and he’ll fire away, so Montreal should be able to find capable linemates for him all across the roster, from Jake Evans to Joel Armia.

While it’s unlikely Montreal makes any other major signings on Wednesday, things are far from over for the Canadiens in the 2021 off-season, and as David Savard, Cedric Paquette, Chris Wideman and others join the team, Mike Hoffman is yet another reason, to be excited for what’s to come, for the Montreal Canadiens.