Mike Hoffman was a San Jose Shark for less than a day in 2018, and the 33-year-old is hoping that his second stint in the Bay Area will be much more fruitful than the first time around.

Hoffman was traded from the Senators to the Sharks in June of 2018, and flipped to the Panthers less than two hours later. Now, half a decade later, the Canadian will return to California after he was included in the three-team deal that sent Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins last week.

“It was a little surprising at first. Once it sunk in, it's an exciting time for me and my family. We're looking forward to the opportunity to play in San Jose and getting to meet the team, coaching staff, and all the workers around there,” Hoffman told San Jose Hockey Now's Josh Frojelin earlier this week.

“It's gonna be a little bit of a change, never lived on the West Coast. It'll be a cool experience for myself, my family. We're looking forward to starting things up in September.”

Hoffman has spent the last two seasons with the Montreal Canadiens after signing a three-year, $13.5 million contract with the team as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2021. He has one year remaining on his current contract at a cap hit of $4.5 million.

He will hit unrestricted free agency again next summer, meaning he could be spending just a year with the Sharks. If they are out of a playoff spot by the time the NHL Trade Deadline rolls around, which is certainly possible, he could be traded to a contender.

“I haven't even thought that far ahead,” Hoffman said when asked about the potential of being moved mid-season. “It's still pretty fresh and I'm just looking forward to getting an opportunity to play, come in and meet the guys, and then go from there.”

The 33-year-old winger has eclipsed the 20-goal mark on six occasions since he turned pro in 2014-15, but had a down year in 2022-23, scoring just 14 goals and 34 points.

The Kitchener, Ontario native will be looking to get back to form as he plays out the last season of his contract with the Sharks next season.