"We had dreams of Bowen Byram or Philip Broberg. We thought that Vincent Trocheck and Spencer Knight could be coming to New Jersey. There were rumblings that Ray Shero was working to get Connor Timmins or something of serious value. Instead, the New Jersey Devils traded Taylor Hall to the Arizona Coyotes for Kevin Bahl, Nick Merkley and Nate Schnarr, along with a 2020 1st-round pick and a conditional 2021 3rd-round pick."Pucks and Pitchforks, Dec. 16, 2019
The above is the beginning of the article written on the day Taylor Hall was traded to the Arizona Coyotes. The title of that article was "New Jersey Devils: Taylor Hall Return Very Underwhelming For Ray Shero."
The title and the opening to the article help us understand just how Devils fans were feeling that day. After weeks of hearing about top prospects and immediate help from young players, the Devils ended up with a bunch of lottery tickets. This was for the one and only MVP in the history of the franchise.
The Devils went into the season with so much hype, trading for P.K. Subban and drafting Jack Hughes first overall. Then, it went to hell, and the team couldn't recover. Hall was headed to the desert, and the Devils' season ended early again.
Watching what's happening on Wednesday in Manhattan reminds us of that feeling we all had when Taylor Hall was traded. It's disappointing to see wasted assets and to worry that the situation was rushed, ending the conversation in its tracks.
The Rangers traded Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings for prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional third-round pick. If the Kings make the Western Conference Final, they get an additional fourth-round pick.
That's not nearly what Rangers fans and media thought was coming back for their franchise player. He even signed a two-year extension, which Hall did not do in Arizona. Yet, the Rangers come out of this looking like they got fleeced.
The Taylor Hall and Artemi Panarin trades have similar parallels and gave us similar feelings
Devils fans understand that feeling. Already dreading the trade, as we all have to throw out our favorite jerseys and watch an even worse brand of hockey, getting a return that doesn't excite the fanbase is salt in the wound.
Now, we're not going to be a shoulder for the Rangers to cry on, but we are happy we don't have to see Panarin again in a Rangers sweater. Two years ago, Panarin had seven points in four games against the Devils. The Devils did hold him to just two assists in their seven-game series in 2023, which drew ire from the Rangers fanbase.
The Devils haven't seen Panarin this year because the schedule makers ruined the Hudson River Rivalry, but they will welcome Panarin in his new sweater on March 14th when the Kings head to the Prudential Center.