Ottawa Senators trade Mike Hoffman, but future remains unclear

On Tuesday, the Ottawa Senators announced that they had traded Mike Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks. What will the fallout of this move look like?

Early in the morning of Tuesday, June 19, the Ottawa Senators sought to temporarily calm the sea of rumors that had been flooding the talk circuit of hockey media in Canada’s capital. Mike Hoffman — the team’s first-line left winger, recently caught up in a wave of controversy — had been traded to the San Jose Sharks.

The acquisition was one that had long been expected. As early as June 11, The 6th Sens reported that an off-the-record source alleged that Hoffman was in the process of being shipped away for good. The impending move apparently had nothing to do with the 28-year-old’s on-ice performance, but was alternatively a product of off-ice drama.

Then, on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 12, bombshell reports were publicized. In what is surely one of the most bizarre stories to see the light of day in the recent history of contemporary sport, Melinda Karlsson — wife of Senators captain, Erik Karlsson — accused Hoffman’s fiancée, Monika Caryk, of ushering forth “a campaign of harassment” against the Karlsson family:

"Melinda Karlsson, née Currey, has filed an application for an order of protection against the longtime girlfriend of Senators forward Mike Hoffman — alleging a campaign of harassment that plagued the Karlssons after the death of their son and through much of the last NHL season[.]The application for a peace bond sworn in front of Justice of the Peace Louise Logue on May 4, alleges that Monika Caryk, Hoffman’s partner, had threatened Melinda and husband Erik Karlsson from November 2017 to the date the information was sworn to."

Melinda Karlsson’s accusations are now subject to due process. What’s clear, though, is the graphic nature of the claims in question — the likes of which Hoffman has since denied, stating: “There is a 150 per cent chance that my fiancée Monika and I are not involved in any of the accusations that have been pursued (that are) coming our way.”

Few doubted the prospect that the Senators’ administration would aim to ship out Hoffman rather quickly. Hoffman amassed 22 goals and 56 points last season and could have introduced some much needed depth to the Sharks’ offensive core — but San Jose went ahead and flipped him immediately to the Florida Panthers:

In a matter of hours, the Sharks acquired 2019 second round pick, a 2018 fourth round pick, a 2018 fifth round pick, and a 2020 fifth round pick and D Cody Donaghey in two separate transactions. Not bad.

The Senators’ trade panned out as follows.

To Ottawa:

• Mikkel Boedker
• Julius Bergman
• Sixth-round choice in the 2020 NHL Draft

To San Jose:

• Mike Hoffman
• Cody Donaghy
• Ottawa’s fifth-round pick in 2020

Nevertheless, acquiring Hoffman is, without question, a risky move. “Baggage” is now a staple of his name.

Boedker, 28, tallied 15 goals and 37 points in 2017-18. Bergman, 22, has not yet played in an NHL matchup. He had 10 goals and 20 points in 65 games for the Sharks’ AHL equivalent, the San Jose Barracuda.

The Senators’ offseason is currently centered on the prospect of ensuring that Karlsson — the most important player in franchise history — stays in Canada’s capital. That he was allegedly at the receiving end of Ms. Caryk’s harassment all but definitely ensured that Ottawa’s GM, Pierre Dorion, would scramble to part ways with Hoffman as swiftly as possible.

In a team release, Dorion remarked:

"Today’s trade showcases our determination to strengthen the future of the team by improving chemistry, leadership and character in the locker room and on the ice. We are confident it is a step in the right direction for the long-term success of this organization."

Nevertheless, an aura of mystique looms large over Ottawa. With Hoffman gone, the focal point of recent controversy is certainly removed from the picture. Yet the question of where the Senators’ captain will sign remains unclear.

Whether Karlsson shall be willing to agree to an extension with the franchise that has become notorious for its lack of support for the veteran defender is indeed a subject of much debate. Dorion has already stated that the club is set to offer the 28-year-old talent an eight-year deal on July 1, but any fan knows to take the word of the Senators’ administration with a hefty grain of salt.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently explored the possibility of the Vegas Golden Knights reentering into talks with the two-time Norris Trophy winner, while the Edmonton Sun has reported that the Oilers would love to add him to the organization’s roster.

NEXT: 5 best fits for Erik Karlsson in NHL free agency

Of course, only time will tell if the Hoffman trade was the avenue through which the Senators’ long-term goal was achieved. The legal fallout of the Hoffman-Karlsson fiasco promises to be a narrative for the books — the implications of which may cast a shadow over the 2018-19 campaign.