Hoffman joins Blues on PTO

Mike Hoffman, the top free-agent goal-scorer remaining, is joining the St. Louis Blues on a professional tryout, the team announced Sunday.

Hoffman will join the club for training camp beginning Jan. 3, but he is still eligible to ink a new deal with any team since he hasn't signed an official contract yet.

"I'm extremely thrilled to have the opportunity to become a member of the St. Louis Blues. I've heard nothing but pleasant things about this team and organization," Hoffman told The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.

"One of my top priorities coming into this summer as an unrestricted free agent was to join a team that has a powerful ability to contend and win the Stanley Cup, as they just demonstrated a couple years ago."

The Blues, who are currently over the $81.5 million salary threshold, can put Alex Steen's ($5.75 million) and Vladimir Tarasenko's ($7.5 million) cap hits on long-term injured reserve once the regular season begins, theoretically freeing up money to sign Hoffman.

Steen recently retired, while Tarasenko underwent his third shoulder surgery this offseason and is still recovering. St. Louis also still needs to sign restricted free agent defenseman Vince Dunn.

Hoffman's most recent deal paid him $5.187 million per year. The 31-year-old has split his nine-year career with the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers. Hoffman's one of NHL's purest snipers, racking up 26 or more goals in five of six campaigns since 2014-15.

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