Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
While the signing of David Savard was all about the defensive side of the puck, the Montreal Canadiens’ signing of Mike Hoffman to a three-year, $4.5 million AAV deal is all about sparking the offence.
Based on his contract projection, Hoffman came in at a lesser term and under the expected cap hit, which can be seen as a solid bit of business for Marc Bergevin to get an asset he has sought for a while now.
The simple analysis of Hoffman’s game is he’s a triggerman who makes the most of his looks on net, and is a safe bet to pile up 20-plus goals in a full NHL season. Since joining the NHL full-time in 2014, Hoffman hasn’t scored fewer than 22 goals in an 82-game season, with a peak of 36 goals just three seasons ago in Florida.