Apparently, the trade made earlier this morning sending Mike Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks was just a method they used to raise their cap space availability, as he was sent from northern California to Florida all within hours.

Trade details

The San Jose Sharks received three draft picks including Florida's fourth and fifth-round picks in Friday's NHL Entry Draft. They also got a second-rounder in 2019.

According to Frank Seravalli from TSN Sports, Sharks' GM Doug Wilson cleaned up in this trade.

The Florida Panthers look to use Hoffman alongside some already talented forwards like Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Evgenii Dadonov and Vincent Trocheck.

It definitely makes the Panthers a better team.

"Mike is a skilled, consistent, and hard-working player who has proven himself to be a talented goal-scorer in the NHL," Panthers' general manager Dale Tallon. "His speed, experience, and offensive abilities will bolster our top-six group."

What was San Jose's plan here?

The salary cap flexibility along with the addition of picks puts the Sharks in a good position to make some roster moves. It has been rumored that they are interested in either Ilya Kovalchuk or the oft-sought after center John Tavares.

Kovalchuk met with the Los Angeles Kings last Friday and the Sharks on Sunday. Could this trade give us some inside info that the Sharks have the inside track to signing Kovalchuk?

Perhaps.

Kovalchuk is seeking a multi-year deal. He is free to talk to teams and agree to terms of a contract but can't sign until July 1st.

There's definitely some wheeling and dealing going on with the GM's of the NHL, and this deal is an indication that teams are jockeying for position to land a prized free agent, or make a blockbuster trade.

Hoffman has had one busy day

For the former Ottawa Senators', San Jose Sharks' now Florida Panthers' forward it has been one busy day. It's not often that an NHL player gets traded twice within three hours.

It is quite apparent that he would love for things to settle down in his personal as well as his professional life.

Will he fit in with Florida Panthers?

According to Tallon, "We did our homework and we discussed it with a lot of people. We feel that's in the past... we're very confident he'll be embraced by our team and by their wives and girlfriends."

We'll all need to wait to see how this turns out.

Hoffman for one must be relieved that this day's activities are over for now.

What is your reaction to the whirlwind of trades involving Mike Hoffman? Will he fit in well with the Florida Panthers... and is the drama over? Let us know in the comments section below.