Oilers Release Mike Hoffman From PTO

The Oilers have released winger Mike Hoffman from his professional tryout, the team said Monday.

It’s a tad surprising given the 34-year-old’s numbers in exhibition play. Hoffman skated in four of the Oilers’ five preseason contests thus far, posting a goal and three assists for a point per game. He did, however, post a -2 rating and managed only four shots on goal. It was always going to be an uphill battle for Hoffman to make the Oilers roster anyway, with plenty of veteran scoring depth pieces on the wings, although there was a small opening with Evander Kane set to miss most of the season after undergoing surgery.

If there was a one-way deal out there for Hoffman, he likely would have landed it already with just over a week to go until opening night. There should be a fair amount of interest in his services on a two-way deal or an AHL contract, though, and signing in Europe remains an option.

The 13-year veteran has averaged 25 goals and 54 points per 82 games throughout his NHL career. His production dipped significantly last year on the league-worst Sharks, though, limited to 10 goals and 23 points in 66 contests. San Jose, which took on the final year of his three-year, $4.5MM AAV contract from the Canadiens as part of last summer’s Erik Karlsson three-team blockbuster, opted not to bring him back and let him become an unrestricted free agent.

While a spot on an NHL opening night roster looks unlikely, he’s a sensible target for teams looking for AHL scoring depth if he’s open to playing in the minors. He hasn’t seen AHL ice since working his way up the professional ladder in the Senators organization, captaining their AHL affiliate in Binghamton during the 2013-14 campaign.

The Oilers’ wings on their top two lines are seemingly a lock, with Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins flanking Connor McDavid and Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner with Leon Draisaitl. Their bottom six will likely feature Connor Brown, Mattias Janmark, Corey Perry, and Vasily Podkolzin on the wings in some capacity, although 24-year-old Raphael Lavoie remains on the training camp roster and is gunning for a roster spot to avoid waivers.