In 2017-18, Taylor Hall almost single-handedly carried the New Jersey Devils to their first playoff appearance since Game Six of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals. Not only that, but his career highs in goals (39), assists (54), and points (93) earned the franchise's first and only Hart Memorial Trophy. However, things never got better, and the Devils eventually traded Hall to Arizona in 2019. Fast forward to now, and both parties have certainly changed a lot.
The Devils have a lot more talent and depth than they ever had while Hall was in New Jersey. They also are poised to make a deep run towards a potential Stanley Cup. As for Hall, he has never been able to reach the MVP level he showcased six years ago. His skills have dropped some with age and injuries being a factor. Now, he is the subject of trade rumors. Should New Jersey seek a reunion and bring back their former MVP for a playoff push?
There are obvious reasons why people would be against Hall returning to the Garden State. While most of it would be animosity for how his departure from the organization went, there's also a cause for concern in terms of his ability. As mentioned before, his skills have declined due to his age and injuries. In the last two combined seasons, Hall has only amassed four goals on 10 points in 30 combined contests.
Another reason that people would be against this move is the lack of a need for the top six. However, the Devil's last few losses have come when they have not scored at all. The Devils need help with regards to depth scoring and adding Hall as a middle-six winger is not a bad addition when you look at it. There have been small flashes of the skill we used to see. He’s produced an expected goals-for percentage of 71.42% while playing alongside guys like Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi.
He also still has some speed and pace to his game and that would fit in well in Sheldon Keefe's system. If paired on a third line with guys like Erik Haula and Dawson Mercer, that could be yet another line that can find ways to score while having speed and a bit of grit. Simply put, he could bring some much-needed scoring depth as well as playing a bit more of a checking, grinding style.
The question becomes if the Devils were to pursue a Taylor Hall trade, what would it take and the money involved? Hall is in the final year of a four-year $24 million deal. That also comes with a $6 million cap hit. The Devils currently have just under $1 million in cap space. While they can gain some back by putting Curtis Lazar and Nate Bastian on long-term IR, they still would need retention to make this work.
With the way Hall has played and the Hawks not in contention anytime soon, the price should be fairly low. It also shouldn't be too hard to get Chicago to eat up a decent amount of his remaining salary. This is all to say that adding Hall as a rental is possible and the Devils' general manager Tom Fitzgerald should keep an eye on his availability. It's certainly not a glamourous move at all, but if all works out and Hall fits in well in New Jersey's lineup, a reunion will be more than just that. It could be a move that helps this Devils team get that much closer to playing deep into June.