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On Wednesday (Sept. 18), the Edmonton Oilers announced that veteran centre Mike Hoffman had been signed by the team to a professional tryout (PTO).
A fifth-round pick in the 2009 NHL Draft by the Ottawa Senators, Hoffman appeared in 745 games over parts of 13 NHL seasons, totalling 228 goals and 259 assists. He spent last season with the San Jose Sharks, recording 23 points in 66 games.
The 34-year-old is an interesting addition to Oilers training camp, which opened on Wednesday at Rogers Place with 33 forwards, 17 defencemen and six goaltenders. Here’s a closer look:
Hoffman Joins Dermott as PTO Hopeful
PTOs give unsigned veteran players the opportunity to earn a contract with an NHL team by impressing during training camp and the preseason. There are currently around 30 players on PTO deals as camps open around the NHL.
The #Oilers have signed forward Mike Hoffman to a professional tryout.
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 18, 2024
The 34-year-old has recorded 228 goals & 259 assists in 745 career @NHL games. https://t.co/T8XfG1ZRMt
Hoffman is one of two veterans the Oilers have brought into their 2024 training camp on a PTO. He joins defenceman Travis Dermott, who Edmonton signed to a PTO last week. Dermott, 27, has appeared in 329 NHL games over seven seasons, including 50 in 2023-24 with the Arizona Coyotes.
Berglund Injury Opened Door for Hoffman
Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported that the Oilers decided to bring Hoffman into camp after forward Carl Berglund was injured during the Young Stars Classic, which wrapped up on Monday in Penticton, B.C. The Oilers get an extra body during camp, while the veteran forward gets a look.
Hoffman, who turns 35 in November, isn’t the perennial 20-plus goal, 30-plus assist player that he once was, but he’s still got enough left to be in the NHL, even if it’s just as the 13th forward.
The question is, could he be a benefit to the Oilers? According to Elite Prospects, they have the oldest roster in the NHL, with an average age of 30.04, and certainly aren’t lacking for scoring forwards that are on the back end of their careers.
If Hoffman was to join the Oilers, that would give Edmonton an incredible eight of the top 60 active career NHL goal leaders (Corey Perry, Jeff Skinner, Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Evander Kane, Adam Henrique and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are the others).
Edmonton also already has plenty of veteran leadership, and Hoffman doesn’t bring a lot of winning experience: he’s only played for four teams that have reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs and has never been on a team that advanced past the conference finals.
Hoffman Has Been on a PTO Before
On Dec. 27, 2020, a week prior to the start of training camp for the 2020-21 NHL season, the St. Louis Blues announced they had signed Hoffman to a PTO.
The news left many scratching their heads: Hoffman had just turned 31 and was coming off a season in which he scored 29 goals and dished 30 assists in 69 games with the Florida Panthers. How was he not able to get more than a PTO?
It was believed to be a strategic move by the Blues, who likely had an agreement with Hoffman and were just holding off on signing him until the regular season when they could utilize long-term injury reserve (LTIR) and maximize their cap space.
Sure enough, on Jan. 11, the Blues signed Hoffman to a one-year deal worth $4 million. He went on to score 17 goals in 59 games for the Blues that season.
Oilers Have Recent PTO Success
Last year the Oilers signed three players to a PTO, forwards Adam Erne, Sam Gagner, and Brandon Sutter. The former two ultimately ended up playing for Edmonton during the 2023-24 regular season, though neither was on the team’s season-opening roster.
Erne signed a one-year two-way contract with the Oilers following their first game. In 2023-24, he played 24 games for the Oilers and 36 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Bakersfield Condors. He recently was signed to a PTO by the New York Rangers.
After an injury kept him out of action during the NHL preseason, Gagner began 2023-24 with the Condors on an AHL contract. On Halloween, the Oilers signed Gagner to a one-year, two-way deal, and he went on to play 28 games with Edmonton last season. He’s currently on a PTO with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Sutter, who was trying to make a comeback after missing the previous two years because of long COVID, was released from his PTO during the preseason and announced his retirement from the NHL afterwards.
In 2022, Edmonton signed defenceman Jason Demers and forward Jake Virtanen to PTOs. Demers started the season in the AHL with Bakersfield before signing a one-year, two-way deal with the Oilers. The blueliner appeared in just one game for Edmonton in 2022-23. Virtanen was released from his PTO and joined a Swiss League team.
Hoffman will have to show what he can provide the Oilers in the preseason. Edmonton’s first exhibition game is at home on Sunday (Sept. 22) against the Winnipeg Jets.
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Brad Marchand Reportedly Refused Trade to Different Team Before Joining Panthers
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Packers linked to trade for former All-Pro to replace Kenny Clark
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Dolphins' Mike McDaniel Reveals Tua Tagovailoa Decision Before Bills Game
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Not All Injury News Is Bad After Packers’ Painful Loss to Panthers
Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft suffered a torn ACL against the Carolina Panthers and will miss the rest of the season. It was the biggest injury of a painful day at Lambeau Field. Here’s the latest news on a long injury list ahead of Monday night’s home game against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. WR Matthew Golden Without premier tight end Tucker Kraft, the Packers need as many playmakers as possible as they pick up the pieces on offense headed into the second half of the season. Golden suffered a shoulder injury during a catch early in the third quarter against Carolina and did not return. “He shouldn’t be long term,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Monday, a day after a 16-13 loss. In 24 snaps, Golden caught 2-of-3 targets for 9 yards. It’s the second consecutive quiet day for the first-round pick, his decreased role probably related to the return of Christian Watson. Golden was an impact player against Cleveland, Dallas and Cincinnati. However, the last two games, he caught 5-of-6 targets for only 13 yards. According to PFF, 88 receivers were targeted at least four times the last two weeks. His 0.30 yards per pass route is the fifth-lowest and his 2.6 yards per reception is the third-lowest. Among this year’s rookie receivers, Golden is fifth with 23 catches and 262 yards. Among the 17 rookie receivers who have been targeted at least 10 times, Golden’s 79.3 percent catch rate is second. DT Colby Wooden A few days after getting a shoutout from Micah Parsons, defensive tackle Colby Wooden suffered a shoulder injury and did not return after 15 snaps. “Nothing long term, so we feel good about that,” LaFleur said. He obviously was missed. Rico Dowdle carried 25 times for 130 yards as the Panthers ran for 163 yards on a 4.9-yard clip. The Packers entered the game ranked fifth in the league with 78.9 rushing yards allowed per game. Dowdle had run past that figure by the opening series of the third quarter. Carolina has one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL, and it obviously won’t get any easier against the powerful Eagles on Monday night. Philadelphia finished second in the league last season with 179.3 rushing yards per game as NFL rushing champion Saquon Barkley finished with 2,005 yards. They’re only 19th this season with 111.6 rushing yards per game, but Barkley rushed for 150 yards against the Giants before the bye. LG Aaron Banks The Packers revamped their offensive line this offseason, highlighted by the signing of left guard Aaron Banks to a four-year, $77 million contract. His first season in Green Bay has been tormented by injuries. On Sunday, he did not return after suffering a stinger in the opening series. Sean Rhyan replaced him for the final 56 snaps. Banks should be fine for this week, LaFleur said. Of the team’s eight games, Banks started six but played only 51.6 percent of the offensive snaps. He had played every snap the previous three games, though, and seemed to be on an upward trajectory. “Obviously, the beginning of the year, banged up, all the groins, backs, things that he had, and I think every game he’s played he’s looked better and better and better, and I think this game was no different,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said last week. “He had his best game [against Pittsburgh] and I thought he did a really nice job. He’s doing a good job of being the enforcer out there, plays with physicality.” WR Dontayvion Wicks Dontayvion Wicks missed the last two games with a calf injury. Before that, injuries limited him to 21 snaps vs. Cincinnati and 15 snaps vs. Arizona. While the return of Christian Watson from a torn ACL lessened the blow, the Packers missed him on Sunday when Tucker Kraft was out with a knee injury, Matthew Golden was out with a shoulder injury and Watson was being checked for a concussion. Wicks hasn’t practiced the last two weeks but did catch balls from a JUGS machine on Friday. He is fifth on the team with 13 receptions but hasn’t had a gain of 20-plus yards since Dec. 5 at Detroit. DE Lukas Van Ness Lukas Van Ness suffered a foot injury during the first half against Cincinnati in Week 6. He has neither played nor practiced the last three weeks. On Sunday, the Packers essentially went with only three defensive ends, with Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary starting and Kingsley Enagbare playing 26 snaps off the bench. Rookie Barryn Sorrell played only one snap. Both he and Dontayvion Wicks could “potentially” return this week, LaFleur said. After long layoffs, they presumably will have to practice on Wednesday. WR Jayden Reed Jayden Reed remains on injured reserve following the broken collarbone sustained in Week 2. While he has started working with trainers, it doesn’t appear his 21-day practice window will open this week. “He’s getting healthier, yes,” LaFleur said. “But would I say he’s close? I mean, what is close?” TE Tucker Kraft Kraft will miss the rest of the season following his torn ACL. “He’s doing as good as you could ever be doing, considering the circumstances,” LaFleur said. “Tuck’s a guy that he’s not going to flinch. That’s why we love him. He’s a hell of a player, hell of a teammate, hell of a guy. I’m bummed for him. I’m bummed for us. It’s part of it. It’s got to be that next-man-up mentality. Unfortunate for him, but now other guys are going to get an opportunity.” The next men up will be Luke Musgrave and John FitzPatrick, with Josh Whyle on the practice squad after catching 28 passes last year for the Titans. Musgrave caught three passes on the final possession on Sunday, including a 21-yarder to jump-start the game-tying drive. “Luke’s a guy that we’ve got a ton of confidence in,” LaFleur said. “I think his career got started off, faced a little adversity being in and out of the lineup with some injuries, but he definitely brings a vertical presence, and we’re going to have to put him in situations where he can utilize his strengths.” SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY PACKERS NEWSLETTER
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