The New Jersey Devils and their franchise player have some decisions to make, but if one isn’t made in short order, Taylor Hall might be on the move.
No rational fan of the New Jersey Devils actually wants them to trade away Taylor Hall. He has been the face of the franchise for three seasons, and there have been some amazing moments during his time here. Hall really reached his potential in 2017-18 when he was so dominant that he won the Hart Trophy as the MVP of the NHL. It was an impressive run that saw New Jersey make it to the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.
The only way that anyone would want to trade away Hall is if it is clear that he is not going to sign a contract extension. At that point, you become in danger of losing him for nothing. Hall is an elite player. If you are going to make a trade that sends him away, you better be getting something elite in return.
Hall was given to the Devils in a one-for-one trade with the Edmonton Oilers for defenseman Adam Larsson. It was a trade that most people assumed the Devils would come out on top in, but maybe not by this much. Larsson is a middle-pair defenseman and Hall reached his potential as a former number-one overall pick. The Devils certainly wouldn’t trade him away in a deal like that. They would probably want more than just one player in return, but if they were to do a one for one type of trade involving Hall, these are the five players that would make the most sense: