Nearing two weeks after free agents started and many of them are still up to grab. The big fish now is Mike Hoffman who played for the Florida Panthers. As we are all waiting to hear what Mike Hoffman’s next destination will be, the former Senators is weighing all his options. Hoffman is using patience and who can really blame in those extreme circumstances. Of the ten to twelve teams, five or six have shown a very keen interest.
If the man who has scored at least 22 goals in each of his six full NHL seasons hasn’t made up his mind, it’s not because the phone isn’t ringing.
Teammate Evgenii Dadonov who was playing with Hoffman has signed with Hoffman’s old team with the Senators.
The situation surrounding COVID-19 obviously complicates Hoffman’s task. Let’s just say it will be difficult for him to find a long-term agreement that will pay off this year with the extreme caution owners owners are showing. We have all You’ve already heard that the 30-year-old attacker would be open to the possibility of signing a one-year pact in order to return to the free agent market next year. That is becoming a definite a possibility just like Taylor Hall did in Buffalo.
Official Rebuilding Letter from the Chicago Blackhawks to its Fans
In February 2018, the New York Rangers announced with great surprise and to an extent some transparency that the organization was beginning a rebuilding process during which the priority would be to replenish the bank of prospects and several choices in the upcoming drafts.
In the end, this rebuilding phase by the “Blueshirts” will have been very brief – and very rewarding. The Rangers quickly drafted several very promising prospects and last year they added Artemi Panarin to an interesting roster. Add the 1st overall selection of this year’s draft in Alexis Lafreniere and they are starting to look playoff bound.
Now turn the clock ahead to this October 2020, it is now the turn of the Chicago Blackhawks to make a similar statement to its fan. In a letter to fans from all around the world, the Hawks announced that they are committed to reaching the top again. In order to do so, however, significant sacrifices will have to be made. Those sacrifices will signal the departure of some veteran players without touching the core of the team.
This move by the Blackhawks had their three star veterans Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan fuming as they were not really notified one-on-one of this course of action.
This could mean key players from the the last Stanley Cup edition will leave. Some have already left like Brandon Saad (Colorado Avalanche) and and longtime Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford (New Jersey). On October 9th, Crawford became an unrestricted free agent and signed a two-year $7.8 million deal ($3.9 million cap hit) with the New Jersey Devils.
