It's confirmed for Mike Hoffman, who gets the same fate as Jonathan Drouin

Things are not going too well for former Canadiens players. Indeed, last week, Jonathan Drouin, Mike Hoffman, Tomas Tatar, and Jeff Petry were all left out of their respective teams' lineups.

We're talking about veterans who are supposed to have key roles with their new teams, three of whom will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. It's a sad situation.

As for Mike Hoffman, being benched by the worst team in the league is a harsh blow. It speaks volumes about his level of commitment. However, just as the Avalanche did with Drouin, he returned to the top line after his night in the press box.

So, the forced break lasted only one game. Let's see now if he can start producing or at least be engaged on the ice, even though motivation might be hard to come by in San Jose.