New Jersey Devils striker Taylor Hall seems to be in the commercial block.
According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the 28-year-old forward could be on the move, as general manager Ray Shero is exploring his options with the Devils sitting penultimate in the Eastern Conference with a record of 9-12-4 and in need of a change.
MORE: GM of the Devils, Ray Shero, listens to offers for Taylor Hall
Hall's contract, which has an AAV of $ 6 million, expires in 2020, when it will become a free agent without restrictions. However, if you move, either through an exchange or a new contract, you have preference over where you want to be: in a winning team.
"You want to play in the best possible team, and I have played nine seasons in the NHL and I only won one playoff game," Hall told the Associated Press. "You want to be in a team that is not only a playoff contender, but a Stanley Cup contender every year because I only have many more years left in this league and many more chances to win a Stanley Cup. It hasn't even come close yet. I want to make up for lost time, but at the same time, I want to be smart with everything that is happening. "
That said, these are some of the possible commercial destinations for Hall.
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Colorado Avalanche
According ESPN Greg Wyshynski, the Devils have been exploring the Avs "at all levels,quot;, and Colorado could finally solve something for Hall.
First, Colorado has the maximum space to acquire it, with more than $ 23 million in space this summer. Since the team has a great frontline firepower like Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, he could use more secondary score and another player to compensate for that core. That's where Hall comes into play.
Second, not only do the Avs have the finances, but they have a lot to give back to Shero. His talent group, from Andre Burakovsky to J.T. Compher: it is enough to compensate for the services of the first general selection of 2010.
However, the most important thing for Avalanche: Hall would serve as a rental to give the team the boost it needs to reach its full potential and be a true Cup contender before it's too late. It won't be long before Colorado faces an enigma in which you'll have too many players to re-sign and not enough to keep all those pieces, shortening the window to win with what the team currently has.
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Montreal Canadiens
General manager Marc Bergevin did not hide during the summer that he was in the market for a renowned forward when he made an offer sheet for Sebastian Aho. With that offer sheet, he showed that he was ready for a home run.
So Hall makes sense. The Habs currently have $ 7,727 million in capitalization space and could pay their contract. Not to mention that Darren Dreger of TSN also pointed out that Montreal could be an attractive option for Hall. The Canadiens have also shown that they are a team of the caliber of the playoffs that could well run after missing the postseason last year.
It would provide a great boost to the team's offensive, which already has Brendan Gallagher leading the charge. Even so, if he joined the club, the Habs would have to give up an attractive return and also leave more room at the top for the future, with Max Domi and the company requiring extensions in the coming years.
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh knows how to win, which automatically attracts a player like Hall, and the Penguins also have the talent to achieve it, along with the desire to run again in the playoffs. Therefore, a win would be beneficial for both clubs.
First, the top priority will be to free up space on the lid, since Penshave has less than $ 2 million at this time. However, Alex Galchenyuk and some other names could group together to make a reasonable offer to Shero, while losing the salary for Hall to be on the list.
Without Phil Kessel, the Penguins are missing some of that secondary score that goes beyond Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Hall would fit perfectly and also have the opportunity to join a team disputing the Cup.
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Calgary Flames
It would be interesting to see Hall on the other side of the Battle of Alberta, and it is a possibility for a Flames team that seeks not only to remain in the playoff race after finishing in the Western Conference regular season standings last season , but also to add more offenses too.
The start of the Calgary season has been less than ideal, and as the team seeks to change course after the United States. Thanksgiving, Hall could be an important asset. The 2.39 Flames goals per game are the third worst in the NHL, and beyond Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudrea, the team is not getting the offense it needs as the playoff race gets tighter.
In addition, Calgary would have much to offer in return (signal of Johnny Gaudreau's speculation), especially because they see the need to lose the salary to get Hall on board.