The Blue Jackets just got an offensive boost.
Today, the club announced the signing of Swiss winger Gregory Hofmann to a one-year, one-way contract worth $900K. The 28-year-old has played in Switzerland for the entirety of his pro career but is now ready to make the jump overseas and play in the NHL.
The Blue Jackets acquired Hofmann's NHL rights from the Carolina Hurricanes in a trade on February 21st. Hofmann was Carolina's fourth-round pick in 2011, but never signed with them and continued to play in Switzerland, where he's excelled. Last season, he tallied 18-23-41 in 36 games for EV Zug while serving as an alternate captain. In the playoffs, he notched 6-8-14 in 13 games and scored the game-winning goal to win EV Zug the NL Championship.
After the season in Switzerland, Hofmann headed to the IIHF World Championships as part of the Swiss delegation, and he excelled. The speedy winger tallied 6-2-8 in eight games, which tied him for second in goals scored amongst the entire tournament, despite the U.S., Canada, Finland, and Germany playing two more games due to their teams' successes.
How his game will transition at the NHL level is unknown, but he'll bring speed and a great shot to a team badly in need of those attributes.
