The New Jersey Devils have won the 2019 NHL Draft Lottery and that could be a reason for the superstar left wing to stick around.
The 2019 NHL Draft Lottery is complete and the New Jersey Devils won it yet again. They will make the first-overall selection at the Entry Draft. That will likely be the American center, Jack Hughes. He will join Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Will Butcher, and Ty Smith as a part of a great young core.
The other thing that has been keeping Devils fans up at night other than the Draft Lottery odds is the contract status of superstar left Wing Taylor Hall. Hall is about to enter the final year of his contract. He signed this contract with the Edmonton Oilers before he was traded over to New Jersey.
Hall is eligible for an extension on July 1st, 2019. He has made comments about how he enjoys being a New Jersey Devil. He has also made comments about his lack of playoff success and wanting to win. He said that winning is his major priority and he wants to put himself in prime position to do so when the time comes to sign a new contract.
The Devils winning the lottery again is a big step towards that. They will now have a really good young core even more than they already did. Jack Hughes is a playmaking center that will join Hischier who is a very good two-way center. Hischier and Hughes will look to be a great 1-2 punch that you need to win Stanley Cups. If Hall is looking to play with an elite center, his current home in New Jersey may be the best fit.
Hall won the Hart Trophy as the League MVP in 2018, so he has clearly had some success in the red and black. Hopefully, this wonderful lucky day for the organization will convince him to stick around and truly become one of the great players to ever play for this team. Ray Shero will certainly look to extend him as soon as he is allowed. We may be biased, but this is clearly the best option for Hall going forward. Hopefully, this is a sign that this will all come together quickly.