I think there's more to Hofmann's game than speed, he can handle the puck decently and is a good goal scorer. His biggest weakness is his lack of hockey sense, he is so poor at reading the play that he's difficult to fit into a team. I remember a few situations at the Spengler cup when Suter wanted to set him up on the power play with a cross ice pass, but Hofmann didn't realise that the opponent's box was streched.
I wanted to write something similar about Hofmann.
Beside Corvi, Simion and till his jump to NA Malgin, he's the one swiss player in the NLA whose path I followed most closely the last few years. As I always thought if he puts all the pieces together, he'd be one of the best and most spectacular swiss forwards. IIRC I even stated once in here, he'd have the highest ceiling of all 92er forwards, arguably the best group of forwards Switzerland has produced so far...
Well, if he really has, he certainly hasn't come close to it yet.
He always somewhat reminded me of a younger Ambühl. Not stylewise, but how his game was built up.
Feet > hands > brain
How much they differ though, and, here it gets tricky, varies wildy within a season, sometimes even from game to game. He does not only look like a teenager, he plays a bit like one too.
His biggest problem IMO is his mental inconsistency and streakiness. He does many things on the upper edge of speed and intensity for his brain and talent to follow: how he skates, handles the puck or makes a play.
When he's off his game, he oftenly overbites. he fumbles the puck or loses it at high speed, mistimes the most simple pass, starts to hesitate with his skating and is everywhere, just never there, where he should be. It's pretty frustrating to watch.
When he's on his game though, he's a joy to watch. He skates around opponents with ease, then his hands are suddenly not only quick, but fine as well and he's pulling moves successfully now and he's got a variety of shots which are dangerous all-over the offensive zone to acctually finish of a play. He even does show some surprising playmaking on top of his game. Then he still isn't a guy with great overall vision, but when he sees a possible passing line, has the quick feet and hands to open up a line and thread the needle with a laserpass.
That's why Lugano used him quite often last and this season at the right half-board on the PP. He setup Fazzini nicely a few times already this season. And there's always the danger, he takes the shot himself.
He still does some questionable plays in between, but he produces a high volume of chances, half-chances or a bit of chaos, that it's absolutely worth it. Then he's everywhere on the ice and oftenly close to the puck. Even if he isn't the most effective forechecker, as he still got no concept how to use his body correctly, but forces opponents into errors with his skating intensity. Then he even is a dangerous penalty killer.
In the prep games to the WHC 2 years ago, he played freely and scored something like 8 goals in 10 games, and he looked like he could transfer a lot of his game to the higher level. During the WHC he cooled down severely and IIRC wasn't he even benched in the end? The full Hofmann range.
As his ex-coach, Fischer knows him pretty well and he suits his idea of what a forward should be capable of, but he knows the risk as well. Maybe just not solid enough for the Olympics.
NHL? Im not as sure as 2 years ago and he definitely has to mature further, and maybe his overall hockey IQ isn't good enough. But he's been to the camp this year and who knows about next year... a strong WHC surely would help.
It was no coincidence, that legendary interview when Del Curto interrupted Hofmann and humiliated him in public. He knew about the sleeping talent in this diamond in the rough and was heavily upset about Hofmann losing trust in him to develop him further.
Swiss hockey can't afford that guys as talented as him do not fully develop.
i, even if I personally would have taken
add in Timo Meier, so him and Fiala can further work on their relationship...
