Florida Panthers: Which Winger Will Have a Better Season?
The Florida Panthers are going to be strong on the flanks this year and two teammates who will look to inspire are left-winger Jonathan Huberdeau and right-winger Mike Hoffman.
In my previous article, I stated that Mike Hoffman is capable of being an All-Star this year while omitting the 25-year-old Quebec native. This obviously was going to receive some controversy – and it did – from my head editor, Danny Janicas.
He believes that Jonathan Huberdeau is more capable of reaching the all-star level than Mike Hoffman. Because of that, we decided to settle this with a good, old-fashioned debate.
In this piece, we’ll be breaking down five categories between the two forwards to determine who can contribute the most to the Florida Panthers this season: playmaking, shooting, skating, defending, and special teams play.
Both have lofty expectations for themselves this year, but which Panther winger will live up to (or exceed) their targets this season?
Huberdeau vs Hoffman: Playmaking
Cal: While I should be defending Hoffman, I can’t help but say that Huberdeau has him beat here. Huberdeau broke his career-high in assists last season with the Panthers, playing on two separate lines.
He had lots of success as a secondary assist player, being able to link up with Vincent Trocheck, who would then decide whether to go back for Huberdeau, look back to one of the other three players on the ice, or go for goal himself. This gave Huberdeau a lot more options than on the first line, where Aleksander Barkov was always more of a pass-first player.
This isn’t me taking anything away from Hoffman, as Mike has recorded over 30 assists in the past three seasons, finishing second in assists for Senators forwards last season.
Hoffman was also on the ice for 58 goals on even strength, good for a team that finished 23rd in goals last season. Ultimately, Hoffman’s career-high in assists is a measly 35, which Jonathan Huberdeau has beat three times, so this one goes to the Cats’ #11.
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Danny: Without a doubt, I have to go with Jonathan Huberdeau. Since entering the league, Huberdeau has primarily been known as a playmaker. His bread and butter has always been his ability to set teammates up from just about anywhere around the ice.
As stats have shown over the past three seasons (not accounting for Huberdeau’s shortened 2016-17 year), Huberdeau clearly has Hoffman beat in the assist department. But looking beyond the stats, Huberdeau is just far more creative with his on-ice vision than Mike Hoffman is.
Huberdeau can create space out of nothing and can thread a puck through a couple of defenders without any difficulty. For Hoffman, that isn’t what he’s known for – nor really good at. Hoffman is a pure sniper – a goalscorer if you will – but one thing he’s not is a playmaker, which Huberdeau happens to be.
The native of Saint-Jerome, Quebec has Hoffman beat here by a pretty large margin, and I’m sorry to say but it’s really not even close in this particular category.
Huberdeau vs Hoffman: Shooting
Cal: In a heartbeat, this category has to go to Mike Hoffman. His wrist shot is worthy of praise and it’s come in handy at some good times, especially on the power play (more on that topic later).
Despite his drop in shooting percentage last season, Hoffman can easily get his average back into the 12-14% range, capable of benefitting off of Huberdeau and Trocheck giving him opportunities, rather than having to force shots like he did last year with the Senators.
Hoffman also knows when to pop up with some big goals for Ottawa, tallying 13 game-winning goals in his last two seasons.
While Jonathan Huberdeau finally outscored Hoffman last season with 27, Huberdeau’s shooting over his career has definitely been drawn into question. Huberdeau has scored over 20 goals just once in his career, whilst Hoffman has scored over 20 goals in his past four seasons.
Huberdeau’s shooting has definitely taken strides, but it’s nowhere near Hoffman’s foundation.
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Danny: As good as a shot as Huberdeau has, I have to go with Hoffman here. Mike Hoffman – as I mentioned earlier – is a pure sniper. He takes pride in his shot and owns a lethal one that can beat just about any goaltender from anywhere.
Huberdeau’s shot has improved over the past couple of years, and while Jonny has scored some pretty nasty goals, his shot just isn’t on Hoffman’s level yet. Huberdeau’s main concern has always been shooting the puck more, which he didn’t do enough of in the past.
But over the course of the last two seasons, Huberdeau has changed all of that. He bumped his SOG (Shots on Goal) tally to 204, which happened to be a career-high mark. Hoffman, on the other hand, recorded 257 SOG, which was also a career-high mark for the former Senator.
Jonny is starting to shoot the puck more which is great, but seeing we’re comparing the two’s overall shot, I have to go with Hoffman’s solely on how lethal it is. I don’t believe Hoffman’s shot is miles ahead of Huberdeau’s, but for the left-winger to catch up, I truly believe that he needs another season or two to get to where Hoffman’s is at.
Huberdeau vs Hoffman: Skating
Cal: While his skating isn’t his most valuable asset, Hoffman is much more equipped to be faster than Huberdeau. Hoffman is an inch smaller and weighs 15 pounds less, thus using this to his advantage.
The difference between the two is that Huberdeau uses skills (and creativity) a lot more than Hoffman. Hoffman’s a bit more of a one-dimensional player, as skill isn’t really his cup of tea. While on the other hand, Huberdeau uses a lot of flashy moves and flair to dominate on the ice.
His goal this past season against the Minnesota Wild showcased that kind of ability, embarrassing Nate Prosser with a toe drag, extending out to beat Alex Stalock to his pad-side to tie the game.
It’s this kind of ability that edges Huberdeau in this category for me. Hoffman might be able to skate to good spots for a lot of his goals, but it’s Huberdeau’s ability on the puck that gives him my vote.
Danny: It may be weird for me to say, but because we’re purely talking about skating, my vote actually goes to Mike Hoffman for this one.
Hoffman is definitely the faster skater between himself and Jonathan Huberdeau, and it really isn’t close. Huberdeau by no means is a slow skater, but to call him fast is a stretch of the imagination.
Skating has never been Huberdeau’s strong suit as he’s always relied more on his hands and creativity to get around players, while Hoffman relies more on his blazing speed to burn through his opposition. A great example I turn to illustrate Hoffman’s lightning-quick speed is his goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
After laying the puck off to Christian Jaros, Jaros quickly feeds the puck back to Mike Hoffman, who uses his speed to rush down on a breakaway and pop a backhander top-shelf. Goals like this are hard to stop, and with the speed that Hoffman possesses, it’s only going to create nightmares for the opposition’s defense.
You don’t find that kind of speed with Jonathan Huberdeau, but you certainly find it with Mike Hoffman. Because of that, my vote can only go to Hoffman in this category.
Huberdeau vs Hoffman: Defense
Cal: Hoffman’s going to get my vote here as defense is one of the undervalued bits of his game. His +/- from last season took a major drop-off, -37 from 2016 to 2018, as he finished with a -20 last season on a very poor Senators team.
Prior to last season, Hoffman had a +16 and a 17 in plus-minus in 2015 and 2017, respectively. His 2016-17 season was just as impressive, as his expected +/- was a -1.2, which he finished out with a +17.
He also laid out over 40 hits in both of those seasons, showcasing the grit he has and the determination for his play. Hoffman also has had over 40 blocks in his last four seasons, with his career-high being 57 back in 2015.
Huberdeau’s plus-minus has struggled mightily without the help of Aleksander Barkov, as his defensive numbers have taken a tumble. He’s finished in the negatives for 4 of his 6 seasons, though his numbers are starting to improve.
For now, it’s still got to be Hoffman for defense for this coming season.
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Danny: This is where I differ from Cal. Because of Barkov’s influence, Huberdeau has turned into a great defensive forward and not too many fans realize or recognize that.
Huberdeau’s play along the boards has improved tremendously since stepping foot into this league. He does a great deal of work along the boards to fish out the puck for his teammates, which allows the team to break out and attack the other way.
On the defensive end, it also ensures that the puck gets out of the zone quicker, which is one of the most crucial elements when in your own zone. One stat I like to use when comparing two players defense is expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60). And in this category, Huberdeau has Hoffman beat.
According to Corsica, Huberdeau’s xGA/60 was 2.45 last season, while on the other hand, Hoffman’s figure was 2.80. In 2015-16, Huberdeau’s xGA/60 was 2.22, while Hoffman’s was 2.28. There isn’t much of a difference between each figure, but Huberdeau seems to beat out Hoffman no matter the season.
Above all, it’s the board work that gives Huberdeau my vote. Expect more or less of the same trend to continue.
Huberdeau vs Hoffman: Special Teams
Cal: This one is a massive issue for the Panthers as the power play needs an energizer this season, something Mike Hoffman can provide.
As mentioned earlier, his shot is absolutely ridiculous and the Panthers haven’t had a shooter of his quality in a while. His wrist shot is a cancer for teams to deal with and his mobility in and around the faceoff circle makes him so much more diverse.
He had 21 points on the man advantage last season, which eclipses Huberdeau’s 19. During his career-year of 2016-17, Hoffman netted 13 times on the power play. He tallied 13 assists in the past two seasons and it’s his kind of threat with Keith Yandle and a big body in front like Aleksander Barkov that can inspire a top unit in this league.
While Huberdeau is able to create on the power play, the need is somebody who can fire a dart from any area of the ice. Huberdeau to Hoffman can be a great connection this season and the two complement each other well – but Hoffman takes the cake for special teams.
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Danny: For me, I take neither, and that’s because the two have separate roles that you really can’t compare. On one hand, you have Huberdeau who’s a playmaker, and on the other, you have a sniper in Hoffman. At this point, it’s about picking your poison because each role matters.
If you’re looking for a playmaking winger who can feed you pucks from across the opposite side of the zone, then you go with Huberdeau. If you’re looking for a winger who can snipe one-timers from the side, then your guy is Hoffman.
Of course, the Panthers needed that sniper along the side for the man advantage, which is partially why they went out and acquired Hoffman. But that shouldn’t mean that one’s role is weighed differently than the other. To me, a playmaker and sniper are equal of value on a team’s power-play unit.
For the sake of the exercise, I’d choose one, but because it’s too broad for me to pick, I weigh the two equally as their respective roles are important to the success of the man advantage. Expect both to contribute substantially in special teams play.
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