The missing piece?
A veteran core, young supporting pieces, a decent goaltending duo. The Philadelphia Flyers seem to have a lot of the parts that usually make up a Stanley Cup contender, all except one. The team hasn’t had a proper sniper in 20 years. Not since John LeClair was firing Eric Lindros’ saucer passes past opposing goaltenders with the Legion of Doom.
Talent certainly hasn’t been in short supply since then. But, the team’s elite players have been more of the playmaking variety. Guys like Scott Hartnell, Jeff Carter and Wayne Simmonds have been able to somewhat fill the scoring gap along the way, but none of them are true “shoot first” types of players. Simon Gagne certainly had a knack for lighting the lamp, but even he never managed to surpasses the 50 goal mark like LeClair did, three times in his career.
Present day sees the team with two of the greatest passers to ever take the ice wearing Orange and Black in Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek. As a result, Flyers fans have been left with dreams of what could be if they just had a true goal scorer on the roster. Someone whose main focus was to capitalize on whatever puck was sent his way.
Instead, the fanbase has been subjected to watching their elite talent be paired up with the likes of Michael Raffl, Jordan Weal and Matt Read. Players who, although valuable in other ways, repeatedly let grade-A scoring chances bounce off their stick because they just can’t handle the passes being dished to them. Thrusting these types of players into a sniper’s role hasn’t helped the team succeed in recent years and a roster move may be the only solution to that issue.
Conveniently enough…
The Ottawa Senators are 3-11-2 in their last 16 games and are in complete disarray. Their GM Pierre Dorion is on the hunt for a way to shake up their roster and one of the names being thrown around has been Mike Hoffman. Hoffman’s had a solid past three seasons in Ottawa, scoring 25 or more goals in each. That type of production would immediately place him among the Flyers’ goal leaders. His point totals have improved every year as well and he’s entering the prime of his career after turning 28 last month.
Hoffman has the makings of a great goal scorer and sticking him next to guys like Giroux and Voracek could elevate his game to the next level. A nasty one-timer and top-level speed would make his addition to the Flyers a match made in heaven. He’s also signed until the 2019-20 season at a modest $5.2M cap hit.
The development of the Flyers’ top young players could greatly benefit from the addition of Hoffman, as well. The team’s two most highly-touted offensive young guns, Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny, are both fantastic playmakers. Their hockey IQ and vision of the ice would pair well with Hoffman’s quick reflexes and laser of a shot. This stage in a player’s development is crucial and the confidence that being on a high-scoring line could bring these two would be invaluable.
Sitting at 24th in the league in goal scoring, the Flyers certainly need a boost in that department. With guys like Wayne Simmonds and Jordan Weal not putting the puck in the net as much as fans had hoped this year, making a trade for Hoffman may be a viable solution. For the right price, it’s hard to deny that his addition to the roster would make this team better. Ottawa wants to win now and we could certainly lend them a hand on the defensive side of the puck. The team’s surplus of young blueliners and Dave Hakstol’s unwillingness to use them may make trading someone something to consider.
What do you think? Too risky? His talent and knack for scoring is undeniable but is he just too unproven? Who, if anyone, would you be willing to give up in exchange for Hoffman? Sound off in the comments below!
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
