Mike Hoffman wants to assume a leadership role with the Sharks

For several months now, the idea of trading Mike Hoffman has seemed rather unlikely in Montreal. Even if he was too much and the team wanted to get rid of him, his on-ice performances made you wonder who would dare go after a $4.5 million player who is pretty ordinary.

I have nothing against the person, that said, but I’ve never been a big fan of the field hockey player. For a one-dimensional scorer, he didn’t produce enough to be of positive value to the CH, and even the main player himself admitted that he could have given more.

On the other hand, Kent Hughes found a way to get rid of him by taking advantage of the Erik Karlsson transaction to send his forward to the San Jose side. And he did it without even withholding a salary.

Hoffman will now try to revive his career with the Sharks, but beyond trying to produce by scoring goals, the forward also wants to assume a leadership role.

He wants to be a role model for the guys off the ice, but also on it.

I confess I don’t know him personally, so I can’t particularly comment on his leadership skills off the ice. I don’t think he was loved or hated in Montreal, but I don’t know.

What I do know is that, on the ice, Hoffman isn’t exactly the kind of role model I’d like to have for my young forwards if I were a general manager. Sure, he’s got a blistering shot, but we’re talking about a guy who doesn’t necessarily have great vision, who plays mostly on the periphery and, above all, who isn’t exactly a model defensively.

Again, nothing against the person, but if I had a role model to choose from, I’d prefer a guy who gets involved a little more and isn’t afraid to try to help his club in the defensive zone. Not necessarily a Selke Trophy winner, but at least a guy who’s not just a passenger.

I really hope for the Sharks’ sake that Hoffman will be able to be a positive presence on the team, and I really hope that the forward will be able to revive his career in California. But above all, if he wants to take on a leadership role there, I hope he’ll be a better one on the ice in San Jose than he was in Montreal, let’s say.

Breaking news

– News from new Coyotes member Matt Dumba.

– Gilbert Delorme is not against the idea of keeping Jeff Petry in Montreal to start next season. [BPM Sports]

– Great read on Kyle Dubas.

– It’s likely, indeed.

“It’s a good opportunity for me to play multiple positions and with talented players” 👌🏒 https://t.co/p2pIhyEA2T

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) August 7, 2023

– The question comes up every year.