New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero addressed the media about the NHL Trade Deadline, but the most interesting comments were about Taylor Hall.
It’s been the worst Christmas present a New Jersey Devils fan can ask for. It’s worse than a used Ilya Kovalchuk jersey or a New York Rangers 1994 Stanley Cup banner. The Devils went into the Christmas break with a healthy Taylor Hall, and somehow came out of it with an injured superstar.
Since then, we’ve been given little to no updates on his condition, or when he was coming back. Way back when the Devils placed Hall on injured reserve, we thought it was just a paper move to allow him a few extra days to rest. Then, it turned into he’ll return after the road trip. Now, we’re two months out since Hall went down with no end in sight.
General Manager Ray Shero said during his trade deadline press conference that he will have a better idea this week whether Hall will be able to return this season. That was a stark contrast to what we’ve been hearing where the Devils leaders continue to say they expect #9 to hit the ice at some point.
The question becomes whether the Devils should let Hall play again this season. Obviously, it’s a mystery right now what Hall’s injury actually is. All we know is it’s something in his lower body. Did he break his ankle? Is it a grade two knee strain? Did he grow an extra toe? We have no idea at this point.
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That has a major impact on whether or not Hall should return this season. His game rests on the ability to skate through the other team’s players. If it’s say a knee injury, he will lose some of that explosiveness that allows him to make those moves. If it’s an ankle injury, that impacts his ability to stop on a dime. If it’s a hip injury, that comes with a whole mess of issues.
However, if it’s something that has no long-term implications, then the Devils should play Taylor Hall down the stretch. This has been a very, very bad season for Devils fans, but seeing their superstar play again will give them a reason to come to the rink. Hall gives fans a pure rooting interest other than tank vs. don’t tank.
Hall says he wants to play, and if you didn’t know he has a contract negotiation coming up this offseason. He told Sportnet he was really happy to be here, and it seemed truly genuine. Still, if he doesn’t think the Devils are making the best decisions with his health, that might hurt negotiations. This is speculation, but that’s what happens when there is zero information about what his injury actually is.
It comes down to this, if there’s any chance that playing could re-aggravate the injury to Hall, then shut him down. The Devils are playing for next year. However, if he is 100 percent, let him come back for a few games down the stretch. It will be fun to see him play with the kids, and grow chemistry going into next season.