Montreal Canadiens forward Mike Hoffman will miss up to four weeks with a lower-body injury sustained during the off-season, head coach Dominique Ducharme confirmed Saturday.
Montreal signed the 31-year-old free-agent forward to a three-year, $13.5 million US contract in July.
Hoffman tallied 17 goals and 36 points in 52 games last season with the St. Louis Blues, snapping a streak of six straight 20-goal campaigns.
He has posted 395 points (189 goals, 206 assists) in 545 NHL regular-season contests with the Ottawa Senators (2011-18), Florida Panthers (2018-20) and Blues.
The Canadiens open their pre-season slate Saturday night against the Maple Leafs in Toronto.
Hoffman’s timeline means he will likely miss Montreal’s regular-season opener, also at Toronto, on Oct. 13.