It’s been a long journey for Taylor Hall. The former first-overall pick that led a strange era for the Edmonton Oilers is now a Stanley Cup champion. However, in between points a and b on his journey, it was a lifetime of lessons learned, incredibly high highs, terrible lows, and a moment that seemed like he’d never be a serious contributor in the league.
For years, many expected Taylor Hall to be the one of the few league MVPs to miss out on Hall of Fame contention. Now, that conversation has changed. And it’s to the chagrin of Devils fans.
See, Hall was supposed to be the answer in New Jersey. He appeared to embrace the lifestyle and fanbase at a time when nobody did. Even at its peak, New Jersey as a destination didn’t exist. It always took convincing to get free agents to sign there, and the New York Rangers were always lurking to steal a player like Bobby Holik or Scott Gomez.
Then, Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk, and David Clarkson left in a few years. Martin Brodeur retired. Cory Schneider broke down. Patrik Elias retired, as well. The Devils experimented with Jaromir Jagr, but they built nothing else around this team. Lou Lamoriello eventually left, and Ray Shero took over this once great franchise.
One of his early moves was one that lives on in infamy. The trade is one for one. Hall needed a fresh start, but he wasn’t ready to leave Edmonton. He had a mediocre first season in NJ, and Ray Shero had an offseason conversation with Hall that changed his career. He basically said if you don’t want to be here, we can make accommodations to send you else where.
Hall affirmed his desire to play in New Jersey, and he turned into a star. He carried the 2017-18 Devils on his back to the playoffs, and he was given the franchise’s first MVP for his efforts. While that team fell to the Lightning in the playoffs, with the addition of first-overall pick Nico Hischier, the good times were on the horizon.
We all know what happened next. The Devils failed to add value to the roster in 2018, and the young guys didn’t develop. Then, a 2019 spending spree brought in P.K. Subban, Nikita Gusev, and Wayne Simmonds right after they drafted Jack Hughes.
Unfortunately, Hall did not gel with the new team, and it derailed that season. The Devils traded him a few months later for a first-round pick, Kevin Bahl, and a few other prospects. That pick turned into Dawson Mercer, which is nice, but it might have been worthwhile for the Devils to just stick it out with Hall.
Now to our current feelings on Taylor Hall. After he left the Devils, he played for the Coyotes, Sabres, Bruins, Blackhawks, and now the Hurricanes. Signing with a Devils rival is not ideal, and helping them win a championship is even worse, but this run has changed how we look at Hall and his run in New Jersey.
We can have an appreciation that a player like this had such an impact on the franchise, even if it was fleeting.
Hall didn’t win the Conn Smythe Trophy as many expected, but he will always have his 2018 MVP. And now, he adds a Stanley Cup ring to his resume. That will likely be enough to make him a Hall of Famer, adding another one to the list of former Devils.
We’re happy for Taylor Hall. It’s about the only thing we’re happy for when it comes to this Hurricanes’ championship. He brought us a ton of happy moments, and he probably kickstarts the thought process of making this franchise a destination. Now, he gets to re-write a legacy that was on the verge of falling towards “what if” status. There were dark times in Taylor Hall’s career, but none of that matters now. Now, he’s a champion.
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