Mike Hoffman

[bonehead]

I wonder WTF people were watching even last year when they insisted he isn't an NHL player. He's ridiculously fast with good hands and playmaking ability. He may not turn into a star but he's going to be a useful player in this league.

I agree with this 100%. Anyone still saying he has to continue to produce to prove himself is delusional. Not a star, but a very effective hockey player, on any line. I believe with consistent ice time and skilled linemates, he would easily score 15 - 20 goals (and probably learn to run around a little less).

And, really, of the various 3rd and 4th line contenders (Michalek, Smith, Condra, Neil, Greening), is anyone else beating the door down to take his spot? Yikes.

 

[HavlatMach9]

he's got none of the normal makeup for a role in the bottom 6, but surprisingly his astonishing speed and energy there can cause problems for the other team

 

[Flamingo]

Hoffman has been consistently good in the games he's played recently.

He scored and got an assist last night. Do people claiming he needs to keep it up mean he needs to play PPG until there's no argument, and only then can he get a pass to play well and not score every game?

 

[Sensinitis]

pretty much

 

[Sun God Nika]

What I hate were the people saying he sucked in the first two games he played, he was consistently generating more chances then the average forward on our team, just had dumb luck...

 

[Othello*]

First two games Hoffman actually had some nice shots on net, way more effective then greening when he played

 

[SaltyPete]

He almost scored twice in the first game didn't he? Once on the power play early in the game and again near the end when he hit the post.

 

[Hossa18]

Man if that dominant performance by Hoffman last night still doesn't please some of you, I don't know what to say...

Those are just all the people that didn't like him to begin with and will say anything to prove that they are right. Anyone could see that Hoffman deserves to be in the lineup full time because the gifts he has, you can't teach. All he ever needed and still needs it the coaching staff to give him the proper opportunity. There are at least 5 guys from our lineup that should be coming out over him but unfortunately because of their status\contract, they stay in.

 

[Holdurbreathe]

All we really care for is a guy that can add something to the 3rd line.

Last night was nice but I don't think many are really thinking were gonna see that consistently.

No reason to believe Hoffman won't continue to play like he did last night.

Of course it would be foolish to expect he will produce a goal and assist every game playing with Neil and Legwand.

That said, Legwand is a smart player and he went to the open spaces created by Hoffman last night, so I would expect that line to score on more than the rare occasion.

As you know not every player adjusts to the NHL as quickly. Hoffman has always taken a little more time to adjust at each level, patience is the key with him.

However there is little doubt in my mind he is the third best left winger currently on the Senators roster.

 

[Minister of Offence]

No reason to believe Hoffman won't continue to play like he did last night.

Of course it would be foolish to expect he will produce a goal and assist every game playing with Neil and Legwand.

That said, Legwand is a smart player and he went to the open spaces created by Hoffman last night, so I would expect that line to score on more than the rare occasion.

As you know not every player adjusts to the NHL as quickly. Hoffman has always taken a little more time to adjust at each level, patience is the key with him.

However there is little doubt in my mind he is the third best left winger currently on the Senators roster.

Yeah I'm fine with this, he could get to the point where he's like the 3rd guy on the second line. Not sure it could go beyond that.

I see "tweener" as an insult. Tweeners on good teams are called versatile. Hoffman could b that.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

I've said this a million times I'll say it a couple more...

Hoffman always seems out of place when he plays in tougher competition then he flat out dominates it when he gets used to it.

Last night, he took over the game, it's just 1 game but hopefully it's a trend that will continue to develop and we'll see him become an impact player on our team.

The only 2 things that could stop him are: injuries and cocky/inconsistent play.

 

[Benttheknee]

Consistency. That is all he needs. Of course, that is really hard to do.

 

[arglebargle]

So, according to a subset of HF posters, in order to be considered good enough for the Senators 3rd line LW spot Hoffman must:

-consistently put up points
-play against top lines and not give up goals

Is there a single 3rd line forward in the league that fulfills both of these? You're describing star players here. All anyone is saying is that Hoffman has earned, at minimum, a spot on the 3rd line at LW without being benched/healthy scratched because he didn't score last game.

 

[Senscore]

His speed is fantastic and his good hands make him an effective lower line scoring threat.

He certainly brings more to the table than most of our other bubble guys, which is really all he needs to do.

 

[Sun God Nika]

YoU JUST CANT TEACH THIS!

 

[Korpse]

He had a great game Saturday night no doubt, with that said Linus O'mark had some good nights as well. I don't think anyone has ever questioned his skill set, it's obvious he has the tools to be a good player in this league. I personally don't see him becoming a mainstay but I did enjoy him making me doubt my stance. If he can keep up that kind of play then I'll gladly admit I was wrong.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

The offense is something that was already there but he forced so many turnovers him and his line were spetacular

 

[Tkachuk27]

Reminds me of Darren Helm

If he can keep playing like he did last game he be should be a regular

 

[Lenny the Lynx]

He's looked good and his speed is a welcome new dimension, it makes our offense a bit more versatile which is kind of huge.

My comparison of where I think he'll end up is Kris Versteeg. A guy who can put up 50pts regadless of what line he's on, so he becomes a big asset to make your third line more dangerous and you can go after the bottom pairing a bit more.

Adding in Stone and Hoffman has been such a breath of fresh air over Greening and Condra, so nice to have guys with more skill.

 

[BankStreetParade]

I love how Hoffman still gets doubted. The guy is going to be a seriously good player. Just the fact that he has ridiculous speed and a great shot means he'll be successful. And when you consider that he doesn't float around out there and that he puts his speed to use makes him a very dangerous player on the ice. He almost had 3 breakaways in the last game just because of his speed, he got hauled down for a penalty shot, he had a ridiculous assist to Legwand because he used his speed to forecheck and he used his speed to create enough separation on the GWG.

Like, what more do you guys want from a rookie who's barely played half a season in total at the NHL level?

It feels sometimes like many of you forget that not every prospect makes an impact right after being drafted. Some take time to be developed and to adjust to the NHL. Hoffman is for sure scratching the surface of his potential.

 

[HSF]

He played well if he can keep that up he can be a top 6 forward but consistency will be hard

Let's wait and see

 

[starling]

MacLean didn't even try to match Hoffman against slower Defencemen. That's how fast this guy is.
He blew past Wisniewski-Erixon to draw a penalty shot, then went around Tyutin-Prout for the Legwand goal and schooled Johnson-Savard for the GWG. I think all those plays started with DZ faceoffs. Crazy.

 

[Cosmix]

He's looked good and his speed is a welcome new dimension, it makes our offense a bit more versatile which is kind of huge.

My comparison of where I think he'll end up is Kris Versteeg. A guy who can put up 50pts regadless of what line he's on, so he becomes a big asset to make your third line more dangerous and you can go after the bottom pairing a bit more.

Adding in Stone and Hoffman has been such a breath of fresh air over Greening and Condra, so nice to have guys with more skill.

I think he could play his way onto the second or third line given his skillset. It has taken him a little time to get acclimatized to the NHL but that is OK. I recall reading an article about how Chicago tries to get Keith out against other team's lesser lines so he can take advantage of them. I think having Hoffman on the third line could play out the same way. A key aspect of strategy is to try to get your strong players out against the other team's weaker players, so a third line position could be perfect for him as long as he has someone to develop chemistry with.

Yes, it is a great breath of fresh air to have Stone, Hoffman and others such as Chiasson playing.

 

[operasen]

Pageau next the Puempel and Robinson; Claessen & Englund on D

 

[Samsquanch]

I have no more doubts about Hoffman. He will be a good top 6 guy if we give him the chance to succeed. Just wait until he gets some decent linemates and real ice time, he's been very limited so far.