Taylor Hall Sent to Chicago

Chicago Blackhawks Aquire Taylor Hall

The Chicago Blackhawks won one lottery this month, securing the first overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft. Now they need someone to play with him. Bringing a high-skill veteran is as good an introduction as any they could find.

What This Means

For Chicago

Connor Bedard is going to play in the NHL this year, and veteran Taylor Hall will be on his wing. The $6 million man waived his no-trade clause to accept a trade to Boston from the Buffalo Sabres two years ago.

Hall’s time in Boston was spent as a depth scorer, and that suited the player and the place. Chicago, on the other hand, doesn’t have any similar talent for Hall to play behind. This shouldn’t phase him, as he was “The Man” in all his previous stops.

The question is whether he can return to his scoring highs. He was, for much of his career, at or near a point-per-game and the skill is still there. Should he line up with Bedard, don’t expect any emphasis on defence.

For Boston

The Bruins are in a cap crunch – and a desperate one at that. Their failure in the playoffs last year brought one of the best regular seasons in NHL history to a dramatic close. And after pushing all in for 2022-23, they got beat on the river and need to rebuild their pot.

Boston is facing negotiations to keep Tyler Bertuzzi and the possible loss of Dmitri Orlov, Patrice Bergeron, and David Krejci. Replacing those players in free agency is impossible, but even if they go the trade route, good players cost money.

With no salary being retained and such a modest return, this is a pure salary dump for the Bruins. Maybe there’s some value in the young right-handed defencemen coming back. If so, it’s because of the rarity of the position.