Edmonton Oilers have been reported to be pursuing a defenceman in trade this season, but one insider may be suggesting a reunion with former first overall pick Taylor Hall.
Taylor Hall is in now 33 years old and in the final year of his contract with the Blackhawks for $6M, and has been floated as a trade candidate this year already.
Now, Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal is suggesting that the Oilers would be interested in signing Taylor Hall as a free agent this summer, and could potentially trade for him this year as a trial run.
"Here is a name you will have heard before: Taylor Hall. Chicago will unload the veteran winger at the deadline for an asset. It is inevitable. The former MVP and Edmonton Oiler could be a summer option in Edmonton. Would a playoff run be the best way to road test that option? Hmmm."- Kurt Leavins
Hall's production is beginning to tick up after a very slow start to this season. Hall was scratched earlier this season by coach Luke Richardson who hinted that he wasn't in game shape.
Last offseason, Hall underwent ACL surgery. On the other side of 30 years old, it can be a very difficult injury to recover from, and Hall would have things more difficult on a brutal Blackhawks roster.
In 29 games now, Taylor Hall has 6 goals and 13 points. Given the circumstances that's a fine rate of production, but it's still far away from his star level seasons.
At $6M, taking on Hall would be a significant risk for the Oilers. They'd have to pay significantly more for Chicago and a third team to potentially retain salary.
The Oilers would likely have to give up draft capital, which they don't have much of, and shouldn't be spent on a player that may sign with them anyway.
While it would be cool to have a reunion with Hall, it would be a lot better to see him sign a team-friendly contract next year rather than paying premium assets to get a struggling player now.
We'll see how the rest of the season shakes out, but the Oilers seem most bent on acquiring an impact defenceman for their long playoff run. It'd be hard to fit in a 33 year old forward at $6M too.
