Tuesday morning in the NHL was an unusually busy one, as the start of the day saw not one but two trades made before anyone even had a chance to grab a bite of lunch.

Much-maligned forward Mike Hoffman was dealt coast to coast and back again, finally landing in Sunrise, Fla., with the Panthers. With the move, the San Jose Sharks positioned themselves nicely for further roster moves with added draft picks and salary-cap space. As for the Ottawa Senators, well, Mikkel Boedker was at least an eighth overall draft pick, right?

All jokes aside, the Sens are in serious trouble. And realistically, despite Senators general manager Pierre Dorion's hand being forced due to Hoffman's off-ice issues, Ottawa is in worse shape today to make a run at the playoffs than it was yesterday.

With that in mind, we break down the trades from each team's perspective and assign grades for each side involved in Tuesday's dealings.

Senators

Senators receive: W Mikkel Boedker, D Julius Bergman, sixth-round pick (2020).

The only reason the Sens don't get a failing grade is because, as stated, Dorion's hands were tied. Simply put, he had to move Hoffman, even though the forward's value is at an all-time low. Although, Sharks GM Doug Wilson was able to get a better return for Hoffman than the Sens did which makes Dorion look incredibly bad. Wilson schooled him.

Dorion ended up making the deal with the Sharks rather than the Panthers because he wanted players in return, not draft picks. A rebuilding team should prioritize draft picks over mediocre middle-aged players, but since the Senators don't have a first-round pick next year, there is incentive to be competitive next year.

With that being said, however, Boedker's impact on where the Sens finish in the standings next year will be minimal. What Dorion should've done was taken the best possible return for Hoffman - regardless of what it is or who it's from - and then he could've turned that into a better player than Boedker if he so desired. - Wegman

Grade: D

Panthers

Panthers receive: LW Mike Hoffman, seventh-round pick (2018).

Off-ice issues aside, Florida lands the most talented player involved in Tuesday's wheeling and dealings with Hoffman, so Tallon should get some love for bringing in a pure sniper with the ability to rack up 25-plus-goal campaigns. Don't forget, he adds a top-six piece to an already stacked group - that includes the likes of Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Vincent Trocheck - without losing any players off his roster.

Sure, a second-, fourth-, and fifth-round pick looks like a lot to give up on paper, but Hoffman is ready to contribute to the Panthers now and will be a valuable offensive piece for a Florida team looking to crack the postseason for the first time since 2016.

Not to mention, Hoffman's contract comes at a pretty cheap $5.1 million over the next two seasons, so it's not exactly like Tallon is getting worked over to add some pop into his lineup.

If the Panthers can do a good job of managing the mess that has seemingly developed in Hoffman's private life over the last season, the team is getting a potentially dangerous winger with a bullet of a shot. That is most definitely a very big if, so only time will tell if Hoffman can be a fit in Florida's locker room.

But for now, we have to give Tallon his props. Florida's top-six forward group just got even nastier. -- Livingstone

Grade: B

Sharks

Sharks receive: Second-round pick (2019 - from Florida), fourth-round pick (2018 - Vegas via Florida), fifth-round pick (2018 - from Florida), and fifth-round pick (2020 - from Ottawa).

If there were a weekly NHL general manager's power rankings, San Jose GM Doug Wilson would surely be catapulting to the top of the list after Tuesday's roster wizardry.

Wilson turned serviceable AHL rearguard and fringe prospect Julius Bergman and a sixth-rounder into four draft picks. He also got out from under the heinous $4 million for the next two seasons he would have owed to the perennially underachieving Boedker, who's managed only 25 goals over the past 155 regular-season games for the Sharks.

Obviously, adding two fifth-rounders and a fourth doesn't exactly translate into NHL-ready talent, and realistically the likelihood of picks that late having an impact on the Sharks in the near future is slim. But the Sharks are still the clear winners of the day, as the team is now in excellent position to make a serious run at signing one of either Ilya Kovalchuk or John Tavares. -Livingstone

Grade: A-

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Artemi Panarin has reportedly told the Columbus Blue Jackets that he is not ready to consider a contract extension "at this time," according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Panarin is set to become an unrestricted free agent after next season, so Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is testing the market for him as a result, Friedman adds.

The Blue Jackets do have the cap room to keep Panarin - barring an otherworldly contract request - but if he isn't interested in a contract extension, then trading him now in exchange for assets would be better than losing him to free agency for nothing.

Panarin, 26, enjoyed a stellar season with the Blue Jackets, totaling 27 goals and 82 points in 81 games. He was acquired by Columbus from the Chicago Blackhawks roughly a year ago in exchange for forward Brandon Saad.

The Blue Jackets unquestionably got the the better player in the deal, but the Blackhawks likely feared they wouldn't be able to sign Panarin long term, which is why they re-acquired Saad, who is under contract through 2020-21 at $6 million - the same cap hit as Panarin.

The Blackhawks' fears are now becoming a reality for the Blue Jackets. However, there'll certainly be no shortage of teams willing to give up a big haul in order to acquire the dynamic forward.

For now, Kekalainen remains intent on getting Panarin signed.

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Mike Hoffman has been employed by three different hockey franchises in the last handful of hours after being dealt from Ottawa to San Jose, and then from San Jose to Florida before noon on Tuesday.

So naturally, there were questions to be answered surrounding the Panthers' newest addition and his fit in Florida. None were more important than the one related to Hoffman's recent off-ice issues - specifically, his girlfriend's alleged campaign of harassment against Erik Karlsson and his wife.

"We did our homework and we discussed it with a lot of different people," Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said of Hoffman, according to Joshua Clipperton of the Canadian Press. "We feel that's in the past ... we're very confident he'll be embraced by our team and by their wives and girlfriends."

Reports emerged last week regarding Hoffman's longtime girlfriend, Monica Caryk, and her alleged online harassment of the Karlssons over the last year.

However, according to Tallon, there won't be any issues with welcoming Caryk into the Panthers' group of wives and girlfriends. "It's important. We have a young group. We have a great room," Tallon said, according to Chris Stevenson of The Athletic.

"Our wives and girlfriends really got along great last year. They are a young group. That has to have some sort of impact, but I think they tend to get along better when the team wins more."

Tallon acquired Hoffman in exchange for the Panthers' fourth- and fifth-round picks in 2018, and a second-rounder in 2019.

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San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson had a productive Tuesday morning. All before 7:30 a.m. PT, Wilson managed to trade underachieving forward Mikkel Boedker's $4-million cap hit, defense prospect Julius Bergman, and a sixth-round pick in exchange for a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick, and two fifth-round picks.

Of course, Wilson was able to do this by acquiring Mike Hoffman from the Ottawa Senators, then flipping him to the Florida Panthers hours later.

Since the Sharks' return from the Panthers for Hoffman appears to be better than what they gave up to acquire him, one might ask, why didn't Sens GM Pierre Dorion swing a deal with the Panthers?

Dorion was interested in making a deal with Florida, but he wanted players in return, not picks, Panthers GM Dale Tallon told Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. Given Dorion's preferred return, Tallon never offered him the package he sent to San Jose. Dorion even contacted Tallon about Hoffman last week, but Tallon was told the price was too high.

It's clear that the Sens had their eyes on a player on Florida's roster that Tallon was unwilling to part with. Who that player might've been remains to be seen.

Rebuilding teams would usually welcome a load of draft picks in exchange for a player that they needed to trade with open arms, but for Dorion and the Senators, that apparently wasn't the case.

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The San Jose Sharks traded forward Mike Hoffman to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday in exchange for three draft picks just hours after acquiring him from the Ottawa Senators.

Hoffman had initially been traded to San Jose in exchange for forward Mikkel Boedker earlier Tuesday morning before moving to the Panthers less than three hours later.

"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 said in a release. "His speed, experience, and offensive abilities will bolster our top-six group."

Heading San Jose's way in exchange for Hoffman are Florida's fourth- and fifth-round picks in the upcoming 2018 draft, along with a second-rounder in 2019.

The 28-year-old Hoffman should slot nicely into a Panthers forward group that already boasts the likes of Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Evgenii Dadonov, and Vincent Trocheck.

Related: Report: Kovalchuk visits Kings, will meet with Sharks

On the other side, San Jose positioned itself to make future roster moves with the addition of picks and salary cap flexibility. The Sharks have been rumored to be in the mix for highly sought-after winger Ilya Kovalchuk, as well as pending prized unrestricted free agent John Tavares.

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After a wild week in the nation's capital that saw his dressing room divided over a bizarre personal situation between Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman, Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion swung a deal that sent Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.

"Today's trade showcases our determination to strengthen the future of the team by improving chemistry, leadership, and character in the locker room and on the ice," Dorion said in a team release.

Despite obviously giving up the most valuable piece in the deal, Hoffman was traded along with prospect Cody Donaghey and a 2020 fifth-round pick in exchange for forward Mikkel Boedker, a 2020 sixth-rounder, and AHL rearguard Julius Bergman, Dorion feels there's still value in the return coming Ottawa's way - especially when it comes to Boedker, a former eighth overall draft pick who can play both sides of the ice.

"Mikkel Boedker is a competitive, versatile, two-way forward who can play both wings," Dorion added. "He has a track record of playing his best hockey in the most important games, including the playoffs and internationally. His skill set - in particular his speed - along with his veteran leadership fits with our vision for the team."

While Dorion was put in a tough spot due to an off-ice rift between Hoffman and Karlsson, the deal still provides the team with a decent top-six option in Boedker as well as salary cap relief.

In 82 games for the Sens last season, Hoffman notched 22 goals and 34 assists in 18:24 of ice time per night. Boedker registered 15 goals and 22 assists in 74 contests for the Sharks.

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TORONTO - Adam Eaton has become somewhat of a Stanley Cup whisperer.

The Washington Nationals outfielder has resided in a Stanley Cup-winning city in three of the last six seasons and jokes that once his contract expires, he could be a good-luck charm for NHL teams looking to win a championship.

"The Cup seems to follow me around," Eaton told theScore in the visiting clubhouse of Rogers Centre. "When I was in Chicago, twice they won it (2013, 2015). I was one year delayed (in Washington), I apologize for that.

"If NHL teams want to lobby for me - land a little payday - that would be alright with me (once I'm a free agent). I'm all for that. Leafs, if you're listening."

The excitement from the Washington Capitals' Stanley Cup win was still palpable in the Nationals' clubhouse during the ball club's first trip to Toronto in six years. Eaton was wearing a Capitals hat, while several other players had Capitals gear on in the hours before the game.

"I gotta admit, I'm a Flyers fan, I grew up outside Philadelphia, so once the Flyers got knocked out I jumped on the Caps bandwagon," Nationals closer Sean Doolittle told theScore. "I think the thing that I thought was so cool was the way the city rallied behind them. There was a definite energy around the city throughout the playoffs as they were making the run. If they were playing, the game was on in our clubhouse. It was on on the bus when we were going back to the hotel after our game. Guys had it on their phones, we would watch it on the way to the airport."

No major leaguer followed the Stanley Cup playoffs closer than Nationals star and Las Vegas native Bryce Harper, who became the Golden Knights' No. 1 fan during their inaugural season. Though he admits he was upset that Vegas couldn't deliver his hometown a championship, he was excited for his adopted home in Washington.

"For the Capitals to be able to bring a Cup back to D.C. it's huge," Harper told theScore. "What your goal is at the beginning of the year in every single sport is to win a championship, and for the Caps to be able to do that for the city and for the fans, I'm very excited for them. Hopefully Vegas can do that next year."

Getting over the hump

Washington has certainly had no shortage of postseason disappointment, a burden the Capitals and Nationals have long shared. Each team had historically struggled trying to get over the hump, until the Capitals finally broke through this season. The Nationals have never advanced past the Division Series since moving to Washington in 2005, while the Capitals had never won the Stanley Cup in their previous 42 year history.

While the Capitals have taken some pressure off the city, anything but a championship for the Nationals would still be considered a disappointment this season. Harper, Daniel Murphy, and Gio Gonzalez are all set to hit free agency and the once rebuilding National League East is becoming much more competitive.

"For us, I think we have the players in here to do it," Eaton said. "I think we have the players in here to be successful and make a good push. The Caps didn't make huge moves, they continued with what they had in the room and made it work. If anything, take that away from (their championship), what's in the room is what we have to work with. The pieces are there and you just have to go out there and perform."

Doolittle believes there are some lessons to be learned given both franchises' similar playoff history. Watching the Caps, he saw the club relax after finally beating the longtime rival Pittsburgh Penguins, and predicts the same could happen if the Nationals advanced to the NL Championship Series.

"I think a lot of us have kinda thought that once you do break through, the sky's the limit," Doolittle said. "It sounds really cliche, but I think that's kind of the feeling. Once you get over the hump you can go all the way. (The Capitals) were all talking about how much fun they had and that's really important. I think if you can get to a point where, yeah there's pressure, there's nerves, but the Caps were talking about how much fun they had. That's a big thing in the playoffs, managing that energy."

The Life of the Party

The victory lap around Washington from Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has certainly not gone unnoticed by the Nationals. Ovechkin has been spotted running around town with the Cup, and even opted to jump shirtless into a fountain with several fans.

"I think everyone's happy for him and that's the cool part," Eaton said. "It doesn't matter which part of the country or world that you're from, you can have appreciation for a guy who, since a little boy, has dreamed of holding the Cup over his head. When you have your chance to (celebrate) you might as well take advantage of it. I think a lot of people may not realize what is put into a life like his - dreaming of it, wanting it ... it's just a sigh of relief. It's really unique to see and hard work pays off and I'm glad he's enjoying it."

Harper has watched Ovechkin plenty since he joined the Nationals in 2012. The two have both been respective MVPs of their league, and Harper says it's incredible to watch someone fulfill their dream like Ovechkin did.

"For Ovie, he's won so many awards and has had so many things happen in his career, to do that for the first time, you kind of expect (the crazy celebrations)," Harper said. "I'm very happy for him, very happy time for the Caps. It's a thing to celebrate all summer."

Next in line?

As much inspiration as the Capitals provided, it also built some envy in the Nationals clubhouse. They want that celebration, they want that moment with the city.

"There's something about the Cup, being able to walk around the with trophy, no other sport really has that," Dolittle said. "A lot of us, when we got traded over here last year, we were talking about that we hoped we were going to be the ones that would give the city its first parade. Now, you almost want it even more. Now that you see that kind of stuff, that's what you play for, you play for those champagne celebrations.

"Guys in here that have either won, have been to the playoffs, or have got a taste of it, you'll do anything to get back to that point. That energy is so different that it's addicting. You want to get back there and to see them do that, that's what we want."

For Harper, a championship will likely define his legacy one day. He's already been a five-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year, and MVP. But playoff success has yet to come. Four trips to the NLDS have equaled four early exits. It doesn't make it any easier with Harper playing out what could be his final year in Washington this season.

Speaking about his future is something Harper has refused to talk about this year, but hockey isn't. Strange for a kid from the desert, though he's the first to admit that the sport has captured him in a way he never imagined. Now, he even hopes his future child plays hockey.

"It would be fun, a lot of fun," Harper said. "Hockey in Vegas is definitely up and coming. To be able to have a professional team finally, it's a lot of fun."

When asked if the Harpers might have Stanley Cup and World Series champions in the family one day: "Hey, we'll see."

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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