The Edmonton Oilers forward group is one of the best in the NHL, and because of that they have now released a veteran from his surprising PTO. Mike Hoffman has been a very consistent player in the NHL over the past decade, and while his production has gone down, he remains a solid veteran option for teams heading into 2024/25. That's what the Edmonton Oilers expected when they signed him to a professional tryout this off-season, but with the depth up front for the Oilers, they have now announced they are releasing him from the PTO. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/renlavoietva/status/1840793805416505433'> </a></blockquote></div> The move comes after the team reassigned both Matthew Savoie and Sam O'Reilly over the weekend, signalling that the forward group is officially taking shape, with former Canucks prospect Vasily Podkolzin now likely to be a key part of the lineup on opening night. As for Hoffman however, it's been four straight seasons without topping 20 goals, with the 2023/24 campaign seeing him tally 10 with the San Jose Sharks, leaving his future in the NHL up in the air. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/edmontonoilers/status/1840793290049794279'> </a></blockquote></div> At 34-years of age, the veteran has played in 745 NHL games throughout his career, but in recent years he has struggled to play significant minutes for a contending team, with the PTO in Edmonton always unlikely to result in a full-time contract ahead of the season. Still, the veteran can contribute to a team in many ways this season, so expect several teams to be interested in his services moving forward, but for the Oilers, this is yet another move that signals they have already locked down their lineup ahead of a Stanley Cup or bust season in 2024/25.