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Sens want to see if Hoffman ‘can do it again’

Montreal Canadiens v Ottawa Senators - Game Four

Mike Hoffman

NHLI via Getty Images

The Ottawa Senators got almost exactly what they wanted from Mike Hoffman’s arbitration ruling -- and it could cost them.

Hoffman will earn $2 million next season, which is significantly less than what you would expect a player to make after scoring 27 goals and 48 points. But there’s a difference between Hoffman and Marcus Johansson, who had 47 points last season and was awarded nearly twice as much in arbitration: The sample size.

Hoffman only had 29 games worth of NHL experience going into the 2014-15 campaign so whether or not he can maintain or build upon his 48-point campaign is in question. Of course, the same could be said for Stone, who had 64 points in his first full NHL campaign and received a three-year, $10.5 million deal from Ottawa, but Senators assistant GM Pierre Dorion feels there are some noteworthy differences between the two young forwards.

“Mike’s road to the NHL has been a bit longer than Mark Stone,” Dorion told the Ottawa Citizen. “Stone was one of our best players in the second half last year and his play never tailed off. Mike’s play tailed off a bit in the second half (two goals in the last 16 games) and we want to see if Mike can do it again … we have a lot of confidence and faith Mike can do that next year.”

If Hoffman does do it again though, then the sample size arguments will weaken. At that point he’ll be in line for a considerable raise and a mid or long-term deal would likely come with a higher price tag than it would have been this summer.

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