Would Mike Hoffman Make Sense For Flyers?

The free-agent forward is still on the market. Would it make sense for the Flyers to take an interest in Hoffman?

Mike Hoffman has been one of the biggest names that still remains on the free-agent market. There has been plenty of interest from many NHL teams to bring him in. It doesn’t appear as if he has had any offers that have blown him away, though. Is it possible that the Flyers could entice him to play in Philadelphia?

Let’s get this out of the way first. Cap space for a lot of teams is at a minimum due to the lack of movement in said cap. With the expectation of it remaining the same for the next few seasons, teams will have to play carefully with the contract they are handing out right now. The Flyers are in that exact boat. The $4.8M is their number, less than the over $5.187M that Hoffman had on his last deal.

And that number isn’t likely to get smaller for one of the best league’s best scorers. In the shortened season, Hoffman was still able to put up 29 goals and 59 points in 69 games. For those who like the stat, that would have had him tied for second in points on the Flyers. He would have led the team in goals.

He is just two seasons past a career-high 36 goals and 70 points during the 2018-19 season. There is no doubt that he would make the Flyers a better team. With a shoot-first mentality and a healthy amount of power-play points, he would give the team quite the weapon on offense. Heading to the Florida Panthers after seven years in Ottawa, it seems as if Hoffman has only gotten better with age.

There is no pressure to sign a contract with the uncertainty of when the next season will begin. And the rumors appear to be that Hoffman is willing to sign a one-year contract, making him a free agent once again next season. After making over $5M on his last contact, it’s hard to see him taking a large discount on that one-year deal, though.

From a money standpoint, it is hard to see the Flyers willing to make the move. The longer he is out there, though, the potential of his price dropping could go up. From a pure skill standpoint, who wouldn’t want a potential 30+ goal scorer in their lineup? A move would have to be made to fit Hoffman onto the roster.

The Flyers are still without the services of Phil Myers after they extended him a qualifying offer. Unsurprisingly, it appears it is going to take more than that to bring him back for at least another season or two. His contract could eat up almost all of the remaining space the team has.

That is where the flat cap once again comes into play. There is no potential hope of the numbers going up next season. Especially when the team will have to worry about new contracts for players like Carter Hart and Travis Sanheim. So while Hoffman is still available, the Flyers aren’t likely to be a player for his services.

If the cost comes down, they shouldn’t hesitate to put a feeler out there, though. He would be a welcomed addition to the lineup.