Hoffman 'will work out well' with Panthers, Luongo says

LAS VEGAS -- Aleksander Barkov and Roberto Luongo were not consulted about the Florida Panthers trading for Mike Hoffman, but they each said Tuesday he will help them next season.

"I just landed and I got a couple texts that there's a good player coming to the team," Barkov said after arriving here from Finland for the 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu.
The Panthers acquired Hoffman in a trade with the San Jose Sharks after the Sharks acquired the 28-year-old forward in a trade with the Ottawa Senators earlier Tuesday.
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Florida general manager Dale Tallon said he spoke with some of the Panthers before the trade to ask their feelings about Hoffman, but Luongo and Barkov said they were not among those consulted.
"I trust Dale, and I trust we have a great leadership group in our locker room," Luongo said. "So I think they made the best decision for our club."

Florida received Hoffman and a seventh-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft from San Jose for a fourth-round and a fifth-round pick in 2018 and a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
San Jose acquired Hoffman from Ottawa, with defenseman prospect Cody Donaghey and a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, for forward Mikkel Boedker, defenseman prospect Julius Bergman and a sixth-round pick in 2020.
Luongo said he had no concerns about Hoffman's impact on the Panthers' locker room chemistry. The Ottawa Citizen reported last week that Melinda Karlsson, the wife of Senators captain Erik Karlsson, filed an application for a peace bond against Hoffman's girlfriend, Monika Caryk, alleging harassment and cyberbullying that occurred this season and continued after the Karlssons' son, Axel, was stillborn. Hoffman has denied the allegations.
"We've heard some good things about him as a person and a player and we've got a really strong locker room, a great bunch of guys, and I'm sure he'll fit right in," Luongo said. "We'll welcome him, and I'm not worried about that stuff. I think it will take care of itself. But the fact that our group is so strong and close-knit, I think, it will work out well."
The Panthers were 14th in the NHL this season at 2.99 goals per game. Hoffman scored at least 26 goals each of the prior three seasons with Ottawa before scoring 22 this season.
"He's a great player," Barkov said. "He can score goals, everybody knows that. So I'm excited to have him on our team and looking forward to him playing for us and scoring goals."

A few more goals might have made a difference this season for the Panthers, who finished one point behind the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New Jersey Devils for the two wild cards into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
"He's a big piece for us," Luongo said of Hoffman. "We're excited to add somebody that can play on the top two lines. We already have a great group, but I think adding him really helps out a lot as far as the offensive side of the puck."
The 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas are Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN). Luongo is a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Barkov is a finalist for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.