Mike Hoffman says he never played up to his talent in Montreal

Kent Hughes proved once again today that he has more than one trick up his sleeve.

After all, the Habs GM managed to get rid of Mike Hoffman and his contract, which was paying him $4.5 million per season… And he didn’t even have to withhold a portion of his salary to trade him.

Just that, in my opinion, makes the CH a winner. And the cherry on top? Hughes was also able to get an interesting return by trading only Hoffman and Rem Pitlick.

Mike Hoffman will continue his career in San Jose. Poor him, we agree… Because with the Sharks, things are likely to be particularly tough next year and the years to follow.

With just one season remaining on the scorer’s contract, it would be surprising to see him sign a contract extension in San Jose, given that the club is likely to end up in the bottom half of the standings for several more seasons.

Unless the Sharks offer him the moon, I see him leaving in the summer of 2024.

The former Canadiens 68 wasted no time in introducing himself to his new fans, this afternoon holding a press conference via Zoom. He said what he had to say, and we all agree that it’s often the same tape that rolls when situations like these occur, when we see a player give his first comments following a transaction…

But Hoffman also decided to be frank, admitting that he never played up to his talent in Montreal. He could have taken the easy way out by avoiding the subject, but he talked about it anyway.

I have a lot of respect for players who don’t hesitate to take responsibility when things go wrong. We all agree that Hoffman never really wowed the gallery, even though everyone on the planet knows how much skill he has to be one of the NHL’s good offensive players…

And he knows it, too.

At least he knows. Because when he signed his three-year contract with the CH in the summer of 2021, Mike Hoffman was expected to come and score goals…

But let’s just say his 29 goals in 134 games with the Habs haven’t lived up to expectations.

Well, Mike Hoffman is leaving, and we’re all pretty happy to see him go, given that he didn’t necessarily fit in with Martin St-Louis’ philosophy, and given that his departure frees up a spot in the CH offensive lineup.

But I seem to see it a little differently. Sure, Hoffman didn’t get the job done during his time in town, but he did add depth to the lineup in the natural scoring department.

It’s a blessing in disguise. Now the CH is left with Caufield as its only “sniper”, and in a league where goals are being scored by the ton these days, that’s something to consider. Already, the CH and scoring goals don’t really fit into the same sentence…

I don’t think we need to worry right away because the Tricolore won’t be competitive for another two or three years. They still have time to get their hands on a guy with a knack for putting it in the back of the net, and if it doesn’t happen this year, it’s not a big deal.

But sooner or later, the CH will have to find another natural scorer. Because, in reality, Caufield won’t be able to support the attack by scoring 80 goals a season for years to come.

I wish that were the case, but hey.

At

– Good point.

– I would have broken everything.

– Well done.

– A nice show of respect for Leylah Fernandez. Especially when it comes from the mouth of Venus Williams!