NHL free agency started about three weeks ago, and one of the best goal scorers on the market remains unsigned.
Mike Hoffman scored 29 goals in 69 games for the Florida Panthers last season, one year after tallying a career-high 36 goals in 2018-19.
Ranking the Bruins' top 10 prospects entering next season
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Despite his impressive goal scoring and power-play stats, Hoffman hasn't found a contract to his liking even though many teams have reached out to him.
"Teams have continued to call about Hoffman," The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun wrote Thursday. "Try a dozen or so, five or six seriously, another six or seven more on the periphery. They’ve all checked in with Hoffman’s camp led by agent Rob Hooper of Octagon, but the offers so far have been bargain city."
Why Bruins should gamble on Hoffman for one year
The Bruins reportedly have shown interest in Hoffman over the last month, which makes sense because Boston needs to upgrade its secondary scoring. The B's only have around $8.8 million in salary cap space, though, and still need to work out deals with winger Jake DeBrusk and defenseman Zdeno Chara.
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Boston could be without first-line wingers Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak to begin the 2020-21 season after both had offseason surgery in September. If one or both of those players miss time early in the upcoming campaign, the Bruins could find it difficult to score goals.
Adding a player of Hoffman's offensive caliber would soften that injury blow and give the team a strong power-play presence in Marchand and/or Pastrnak's absence. The Bruins are strong enough defensively to overcome Hoffman's weaknesses in that area of the game.