The Ottawa Senators announced that they have signed flashy prospect Mike Hoffman to a three year entry-level contract. Hoffman was the Sens 5th round pick (130th overall) in the 2009 entry draft last year. What is his future within the organization? Read on to find out.
The 20 yr old comes in at 6’0” and 170 lbs and can play either centre or left wing. Having a poor start to his junior career, Hoffman found his way in his last two and a half years playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Hoffman was actually passed over the first time he was draft eligible in 2008. But he is now seen as a steal by the Senators, as they got the 2009-10 QMJHL Michel Briere award (Most Valuable Player) winner in the 5th round of the draft. Expectations are high on Hoffman in the Sens organization, as they see him as a potential future top 6 forward.
Hoffman will be in tough to make the big club this year as most the forward spots are accounted for. He will need to blow away the competition in training camp and knockoff a few vets and rookies to earn a spot. Most likely, Hoffman will be part of the new blood going to Binghamton where he will get top 6 minutes. Hoffman will join Roman Wick, Bobby Butler, Colin Greening and Corey Locke as the young hopefuls that will take Bingo back to the AHL playoffs.
Hoffman is a point producing machine, having notched 227 points in his last three seasons (180 games) in the QMJHL. And he loves to put the puck in the net as 122 out of his 227 points were goals. I think the organization will experiment with where Hoffman fits best, either centre on left wing, and will give him time to develop this upcoming season. The Sens want to see if Hoffman can produce at the pro level as he did at the junior level. He will need to bulk up to be able to handle the pro game, but the skills are there for him to succeed.
With expiring contracts and an aging core, Hoffman could be playing top 6 minutes for Ottawa sooner rather than later. He will need to establish himself first in Bingo, but Hoffman’s chances of playing for the Sens are high.
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