Former Ottawa Senators forward Mike Hoffman is now a Florida Panther. Hoffman was traded Tuesday morning to Florida, just hours after the Senators sent him to San Jose.
Along with Hoffman, Florida acquires a 2018 seventh round pick from the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks get Florida's 2019 second round pick, 2018 fourth round pick and 2018 fifth round pick.
The Ottawa Senators trade comes less than one week after accusations surfaced about Hoffman's partner's alleged harassment of team captain Erik Karlsson's wife.
The Senators announced Tuesday morning they traded Hoffman, prospect defenceman Cody Donaghey and a fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft to the San Jose Sharks for forward Mikkel Boedker, defenceman Julius Bergman and a sixth-round pick in the 2020 draft.
Melinda Karlsson, Erik Karlsson's wife, filed a peace bond last month alleging Monika Caryk, Hoffman's fiancee, posted hundreds of derogatory online messages aimed at her and her husband. In the sworn statement, Melinda Karlsson alleged Caryk "uttered numerous statements wishing my unborn child dead." The Karlssons' first child, a son named Axel, was stillborn in March, approximately one month before he was due.
Both Caryk and Hoffman deny all allegations of any harassment or cyberbullying and have hired a lawyer, Sheila Block of Torys LLP to assist in the investigation.
In a news release announcing the trade, General Manager Pierre Dorion says the move will "strengthen the future of the team by improving chemistry, leadership and character in the locker room and on the ice."
Neither the Senators press release nor the Panthers release mention the controversy regarding the allegations against Caryk.
