As the Ottawa Senators crumbled into smithereens this offseason, the Florida
Panthers took advantage and gathered one of their spare parts, Mike
Hoffman. With him, the Panthers land themselves another weapon to add to their
 already-promising lineup, but what should we expect of him? Personally, I
believe he is in store for a career-best season and I predict he will hit the
30-goal mark due to strong power play numbers and new opportunities in
Florida.Power Play Excellence

The Panthers finished the 2017-18 season near the bottom of the league in power
 play success at 18.9 percent, 21st in the league. The lack of scoring on the
man advantage was a clear weakness for the playoff bubble team and they hope
that the acquisition of Hoffman is the extra juice the special teams unit needs
 to push them into the playoffs.Former Ottawa Senator Mike Hoffman is a
dangerous player on the power play and can add a scoring threat to the Panthers
 offense. (Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports)

He was a major player on the Senators'; power play unit in recent seasons.
Often playing opposite of Erik Karlsson on the point, Hoffman';s role was to
use his shooting touch to generate scoring chances. Although Ottawa';s power
play wasn';t strong, he was one of the few consistent pieces. He tied for the
team lead with eight power play goals and outright led the team with 21 power
play points in 2017-18.

His team-leading numbers show that he is capable of being a helpful part of a
power play. However, his potential influence on the Panthers'; power play can
be more accurately displayed in the graph below, which measures the
concentration of shots on net on the power play with Hoffman on and off the ice
 in 2017-18.

So obviously if Karlsson is traded the Senators will be shit in a wool sock
next year, but even if he isn't, they're going to have to completely retool
their powerplay to come up with something that isn't "set up Hoffman for a
one-timer". pic.twitter.com/Uu2X8Bd0HR

- Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) July 17, 2018

In these charts, the darker purple areas represent high shot activity.
Conversely, the darker green represents areas where less shots were attempted
from. While Hoffman was off the ice, the Senators were quiet in the offensive
zone relative to when he was deployed. The top of the right faceoff circle is
where the left-handed shooter was lethal and essentially the only location the
Senators expected goals from.

The combination of the points Hoffman produced on a poor power play, in
conjunction with where and how often he created shots, implies two things:
first, he can shoot. Whether it';s a one-timer or a wrist shot, he is able to
find shooting lanes when up a man. Second, and most importantly, the Senators';
 offense during these circumstances was created primarily because of him.
Therefore, adding him to a stronger power play unit in Florida with more
weapons that can draw defenders'; attention will only increase his
production.Quality of Teammates

Hoffman';s first impactful NHL season was his 2014-15 campaign when he scored
27 goals and 48 points. In the years since, he';s been a lock for at least 20
goals, with a career-high 29 in 2015-16. What is most impressive about his goal
 totals is that he accomplished this without another Ottawa forward topping 65
points. With the increase in player skill around him, I expect Hoffman to have
 more quality scoring chances, leading to more goals.Mike Hoffman has been a
consistent 20-goal scorer for the last four years with the Ottawa Senators.
(Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

As the analytics movement continues to grow, it';s imperative to stay on top of
 new data-collecting techniques that may give teams an edge. One in particular
that I feel relates to the Panthers and Hoffman merger is the importance of the
 quality of teammates that a skater plays with. With a PhD in mathematics and
founder of HockeyViz, Micah Blake McCurdy claims that the importance of a
player';s teammates is underrated in today';s NHL.

"It (quality of competition) matters, on average, about three or four times
less than quality of teammates does, even after you take into account how you
have five opponents at 5v5 but only four teammates." Micah Blake McCurdy in the
 Vancouver Courier

So what does this mean for Hoffman?

Whether playing on the power play or at five-on-five, his linemates in Ottawa
were objectively worse than the quality of players he will be joining in
Florida. He will likely be on the second line with 2017 all-star Vincent
Trocheck and young gun Jonathan Huberdeau. Between these two up-and-coming
forwards, it';s fair to say that Hoffman';s surrounding talent will be
significantly better this upcoming season.Vincent Trocheck has emerged as one
of the most talented young centers in the NHL. How will he affect Mike
Hoffman';s game? (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

As previously mentioned, no forward that Hoffman has played with has put up
over 65 points in a season, a feat that Trocheck and Huberdeau both
accomplished last season. Trocheck had 75 points while adjusting to a rotation
of linemates while Huberdeau posted 69 points in 82 games and, at just 25, he
is still likely to progress toward a higher ceiling.

As the quality of teammates becomes more applicable to surrounding players';
performances, it will be interesting to see how a player like Hoffman will fare
 with upgraded linemates. As shown, he has created offense on power plays while
 holding his own at five-on-five with lesser skill around him. We know that he
has been hovering around the 30-goal mark and the addition of stronger
surrounding players should elevate him over that threshold.Jonathan Huberdeau
is one of the many young Panthers forwards who can help improve Hoffman';s
game. (Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports)Ottawa Drama Is Motivation

There is no denying that Hoffman';s departure from Ottawa was necessary, not to
 mention, painfully awkward. After allegations surfaced that his fiancé was
harassing Karlsson';s wife, it was apparent that Hoffman';s time with the
franchise was over. With this story presumably hanging over his head, he has an
 incentive to play better and restore his reputation as a positive locker room
presence, which will increase his future value.

Hoffman has two years left on a four-year contract with a cap hit of
$5,187,500. This recent scandal has already dropped his value tremendously.
Ottawa originally traded Hoffman, ECHL defenseman Cody Donaghey, and a fifth
round draft pick in 2020 to the San Jose Sharks for forward Mikkel Boedker,
defenseman Julius Bergman, and a sixth round pick in 2020. After just two
hours, Hoffman was traded again, this time to the Panthers for second, fourth,
and fifth round picks.

This price is a bargain considering what Hoffman was reportedly worth at the
2018 Trade Deadline. He will be 30 years old when he hits the free agent market
 and his next deal will likely be his last chance to sign a long-term deal. It
is in his best interest to exceed expectations as a player in the coming
seasons to offset the negative attention he has garnered.

Just a reminder that the asking price on Hoffman at the deadline was a blue
chipper and a first

- Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 19, 2018

Predictions for Hoffman and the PanthersRelated: Best & Worst Trades in
Panthers History

It';s evident that trading for Hoffman was a big-time move for the Panthers
this offseason. Adding a strong shooter to tie together the second line will
hopefully be enough to push the Cats into the playoffs. Because of his expected
 power play role, better teammates, and his need to prove that his talent can
trump any negativity he brings to a team, I believe he is in store for his best
 season yet. I predict he will be a 70-point player and will finally crack the
 30-goal mark. If all goes well, this should lead the Panthers to a playoff
position.

The post Mike Hoffman Is Headed Toward a Career Year with Panthers appeared
first on The Hockey Writers.

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