Lost in some of the expansion draft shuffle this morning was a report from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, indicating that the Boston Bruins and Taylor Hall have made “meaningful progress” on a new contract. Seravalli expects Hall to sign with Boston once the transaction freeze is lifted tomorrow and suggests a four-year, $24MM deal is the “neighborhood.” Last night, Darren Dreger of TSN reported that there was optimism between the two sides that a deal would be completed.
Hall, 29, settled for a one-year, $8MM deal with the Buffalo Sabres last offseason after the flat-cap situation limited his marketplace. This time around, he may not even hit the open market after finding a home in Boston at the deadline. Following his two-goal effort in Buffalo, the 2018 Hart Trophy winner was flipped to the Bruins along with Curtis Lazar for Anders Bjork and a second-round pick. He proceeded to score eight goals and 14 points in just 16 games down the stretch, finally giving his new team the second-line left winger that they’d been coveting for so long. In just his third taste of the playoffs, Hall added another five points in 11 games.
It’s likely playoff experience and the overall strength of Boston’s program which excites Hall, who has maintained since the first day he arrived that he would like to stay. For a player that has scored 228 goals and 596 points over 11 years in the NHL, he’s managed just 25 postseason matches–20 of which came in the last two years. As he approaches his thirtieth birthday in November, a multi-year deal in Boston would certainly give him a chance to improve on those playoff numbers or even have an opportunity to truly compete for the Stanley Cup.
A $6MM cap hit, the number suggested by Seravalli, is exactly what Hall earned on his only other non-ELC deal; he signed a seven-year, $42MM contract with the Edmonton Oilers in 2012, just two seasons into his NHL career. If no contract is completed by July 28, he will be eligible to sign with any of the league’s 32 teams.
Definitely a player I would stay away from going forward.
Agreed!!! B’s should spend their $$$ elsewhere.
Curious, why would you stay away from him? He’s not even 30, not 34-36, he’s got great chemistry on the second line and is a guy who wants to win with no injury issues.
We’re talking about the same Taylor Hall right? No injury history? Multiple ankle injuries, knee injuries, a concussion, and a couple shoulder injuries is no injury history?
The only thing Taylor Hall wins you is a 1st overall pick.
@callingoutdummies247 There’s a reason he was moved out of Edmonton, and then everywhere else he has stopped at. He came into Boston looking good, but that shiny paint job will fade quickly.
People are overlooking the fact that Hall has always played on terrible teams. Boston is the first real contender he’s been a part of, and it showed in his improved play. I’m not saying he becomes Gretzky in a B’s jersey, but Hall’s success could certainly continue with a proper team around him.
Maybe Taylor didn’t play on terrible teams, but made them terrible himself. Oilers seemed to get quite a bit better as soon as he left.
I am saying that! Here comes 895!!!
Made them terrible himself? That’s a tough task. And after he left they drafted a kid named Mcdavid. That could have something to do with why they got better. Did Hall offend you some how?
McDavid spent a year in Hall’s home and then asked for Hall to be traded. Hall did nothing but party and was not about winning and McDavid was having non of it.
Look up Andrew Ference and his comments about the culture when Hall was the big deal in Edmonton. It’s a scary read.
Hall is talented, but ultimately has no work ethic or real desire to win. Great players make those around them better and Hall does the opposite. That’s why he keeps getting traded. Why would the Devils pass on him after a league MVP?
Maybe in Boston with the stars they have they can quash his ego, but I highly doubt it.
@Gronk Hall and McDavid played together. Believe it or not they had Hall, RNH, Eberle, Drai, and McDavid all on the same roster for a year and managed to miss the playoffs in dead last in the West. The next year they were 4th in the West. Without Hall.
Correct all around!!
But now at 29 he has changed his way and is in the best culture in professional sports.
Tyler Seguin has changed in Dallas why can’t Hall have changed?
Was Hall changed for the first 3/4 of the year in Buffalo? How will he do on a 2nd line potentially without Krejci? Seguin took steps at 24-25, not 28-29, and it’s still not known if Seguin actually took steps or if his stats just improved playing a more prominent role in Dallas instead of 2nd fiddle in Boston.
Sure Hall may turn it around and become a more professional full time player next year, but he could regress and become more of the player he was in Buffalo too. Then Boston is tied down for 4 years with a 6M cap towards a meh at best player.
Love it, Hall fit great in Boston. Happy he’s (hopefully) staying a while longer