Senators GM says locker room was 'broken' before Hoffman trade

Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion did not mince words Thursday regarding his decision to rid the club of veteran Mike Hoffman. The Senators shipped Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks, who promptly flipped him to the Florida Panthers, earlier this week. The moves came as Hoffman's fiancee, Monika Caryk, faces allegations that she harassed and cyberbullied the wife of Senators captain Erik Karlsson before and after the Karlssons' son was stillborn. Hoffman has denied the allegations. Melinda Karlsson has filed for an order of protection against Caryk. "Trading Mike Hoffman was something that we needed to do," Dorion said. "Our dressing room was broken. We have to have a dressing room that wants to win together. Key components for us moving forward are character, leadership, accountability, and we're very happy with the return we got on Mike Hoffman." Ottawa received forward Mikkel Boedker, defenseman Julius Bergman and a sixth-round draft pick in 2020 from San Jose. Boedker, 28, had 15 goals and 22 assists in 74 games last season. He has scored 109 goals in 618 career games. "We know with the culture that we're aiming to get, (Boedker is) going to fit in that dressing room," Dorion said. Bergman, 22, is a highly touted prospect who has yet to make his NHL debut. The native of Sweden was a second-round pick (No. 46 overall) by the Sharks in 2014. Hoffman, 28, was productive on the ice before drawing controversy off it. He posted four straight seasons with at least 20 goals for Ottawa, including a 22-goal campaign in 82 games last season. For his career, he has 107 goals and 123 assists in 342 games. --Field Level Media