New Jersey Devils: When Should Be Taylor Hall Deadline?

It’s another day, and another writer, analyst or rumor monger pointing to Taylor Hall leaving the New Jersey Devils. With the reality that he’s on the last year of his deal, what is the deadline for the former MVP to make a decision?

This offseason has been an extremely busy one for the New Jersey Devils. They made 11 picks during the NHL Draft, including Jack Hughes with the number-one overall pick. During that same weekend, Ray Shero traded for superstar defenseman P.K. Subban. Then, during free agency the Devils signed Wayne Simmonds to a $5 million deal. Yet, despite all this positive traction for the Devils, every keeps talking about Taylor Hall.

July 1st has come and gone without a Taylor Hall extension, a date we hoped would be much happier. However, as we learned, that was not the deadline. The Devils continue to say they haven’t even reached out to Taylor Hall with a formal offer, yet John Hynes came out this week and said Hall is “mulling over the decision.”

Well, that’s not great for the Devils. Hall said the only thing standing inbetween himself and re-signing with an organization he said he loves to play for was the chance to play for the Stanley Cup in the future. It would be hard for Hall to find a team with the cap space the Devils still have while still having centers the caliber of Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. Not to mention that Ray Shero finally made moves this offseason, trading for P.K. Subban at the NHL Draft and signing Wayne Simmonds on day one of free agency.

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Yet, still no decision from Hall. There were thoughts that maybe Shero was holding up talks because he might be worried about the knee injury or possible just seeing what else is out there. But based on what we heard from the Devils head coach, it sounds like the ball is in Hall’s court.

So, now that Hall is still deciding, now Shero needs to decide when enough is enough. Now is not the time to put the pressure on Hall. It’s still very early in the offseason, but if another month goes by and this is still status quo, then decisions need to at least be discussed. The Devils can’t lose Hall for nothing. They aren’t in the position to win the Stanley Cup. However, they could move him and still put a competitive team on the ice.

Going into the season with Hall unsigned is not ideal. Somewhere right before training camp the Devils need to at least put out feelers to see if a team is willing to overpay for him. However, that’s definitely not the “deadline”.

Should the Devils wait all the way until the trade deadline to let Hall make a decision? That seems like a risk not worth taking. What if Hall gets injured again? Then his value is down the tubes, and the Devils will be lucky to get one major piece for him, let alone three or four like they could get for him now.

Honestly, end of November feels like the sweet spot. Think about the deal the Devils made to bring Sami Vatanen here. There’s one issue, it’s very rare to make a trade like that for a superstar. Usually, these things happen right before the season or at the deadline. It’s very rare to happen two months in.

Still, this gives Hall two months to see what it’s like to play on his new team, and gives the Devils ample time to see him play on the once injured knee. If he goes into December still “mulling”, then it’s time for the Devils to mull over what teams might want Hall’s services.