Former 30 goal scorer hits rock bottom after being terminated by contending team

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Julien Trekker
September 30, 2024 (2:59 PM)

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A former 30-goal scorer hit rock bottom after his professional tryout was officially terminated by the Oilers d'Edmonton
Edmonton Oilers.

Many teams are trying to fill holes in their lineup during the summer by signing professional tryouts, and it doesn't always work out well.

That's the case of veteran Mike Hoffman. He signed a PTO before the start of the training camp. The Oilers just announced that they released him from the team.

Watch their statement on X here:

The forward had little chance of making the team. There's a lot of depth in Edmonton at the moment, and earning a spot in the lineup isn't easy. Despite the departure of Ryan Holloway to Nashville on an offer sheet, the Oilers acquired a lot of talent in the summer, such as Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner.�

Hoffman, 34, was drafted 139th overall in 2009 by the Ottawa Senators. He played 745 games in the NHL for the Senators, Florida Panthers, St-Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens , and San Jose Sharks. He tallied 487 points, including 228 goals in his career.

Unfortunately, this could be the end of the road for him. At his age, and without a contract, it'll be hard for him to get a spot on a team. The past few seasons were especially challenging for Hoffman, who hasn't been able to score 20 goals or more since the 2019-20 season.

Before the trade deadline, some teams could be interested in getting him on a cheap deal to add further depth to their lineups going into the playoffs. But considering that most of the best teams in the NHL have no cap space, that scenario seems unlikely.