The Edmonton Oilers have released Mike Hoffman from his professional tryout (PTO) with the team. The organization announced the move on Monday, not long after the club announced a series of roster cuts sending prospects like Ryan O’Reilly back to the OHL and Matt Savoie down to Bakersfield of the AHL.
Hoffman was a long shot to make the team, but he had stuck around for a little while in pre-season, scoring four points in four games (1 goal and three assists).
There was some talk that maybe Hoffman might earn a two-way contract offer, but the Oilers are deep at forward and what they don’t necessarily need is another skilled power-play guy. They need grit and physicality that can forecheck, and that’s not exactly Hoffman’s game.
He had over a point per game in the preseason. There is a chance he would be a good bottom-six add for some NHL teams. The most likely option is that Hoffman agrees to a two-way AHL deal with a team or heads overseas if he is only looking at a one-way deal.
In 745 career NHL games, Hoffman has 228 goals and 487 points. He’s spent time with the Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, and Montreal Canadiens. He won’t add any regular season games to his resume with the Oilers, but he might land elsewhere before the 2024-25 regular season begins.
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