Vegas Golden Knights: Discussing a potential Taylor Hall trade
Reports emerged on Monday suggesting that Taylor Hall wants out of the New Jersey Devils. Are the Vegas Golden Knights in a position to make a blockbuster move?
According to The Fourth Period, Taylor Hall isn’t interested in signing an extension with the Devils ahead of becoming a free agent after 2019-20, news which would have pricked up the ears of the Vegas Golden Knights and 29 other teams in the NHL.
It is important to note, however, that both New Jersey General Manager Ray Shero and Hall’s agent, Darren Ferris have denied the reports.
It is unclear what exactly the truth is at the moment but, we know one thing for certain, he would certainly add a plethora of star power to the Vegas Golden Knights and any other team in the NHL.
Could it be done though? We all love a bit of mischief making and this is speculation season after all with the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and free agency both rapidly approaching.
We’ll discuss the logistics of any potential trade later but, for now, let’s delve into the background of these reports and Hall himself.
Firstly, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that Hall is feeling less than enthusiastic about the direction the Devils are heading in if that is indeed the case.
After making the playoffs for the first time since 2011-12 last year, New Jersey regressed in spectacular fashion this season and finished with the third-worst record in the entire NHL, above the Los Angeles Kings and the Ottawa Senators.
That in part was down to the absence of Hall, who missed 49 games because of a knee injury that ultimately ended his 2018-19 season prematurely.
He had 37 points (11 goals and 26 assists) in 33 games before injury derailed his progress, robbing the Devils of their biggest and most potent offensive weapon.
It had a devastating impact and why wouldn’t it? Hall sits in the upper echelon of the NHL’s elite and was crowned the winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2017-18 after a stunning year that saw the left-shot tally 39 goals and 54 assists for 93 points in 76 games.
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He had two goals and four assists for six points in the postseason as the Devils eventually fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but the bar was set in terms of what this New Jersey team could achieve.
However, they fell way short of expectations this year and that has now led to suggestions Hall could look for a way out if the front office doesn’t act and add more firepower to this roster.
Of course, the Devils have the No.1 pick in this year’s draft and they will have the luxury of being able to choose between Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko to build a Stanley Cup contending team around.
New Jersey are projected to have around $35,603,334 of cap space for 2019-20 so they will enter the offseason armed with a bucketload of cash which they can splash in what will be a star-laden free agency class.
They have a slew of holes on the roster they need to fill, which will need plugging with quality and tried and tested players if they are to keep their best asset in New Jersey for the long-term.
Back to Hall and a potential blockbuster trade, though. Could the Vegas Golden Knights be in a position to add yet another potent weapon to their offensive juggernaut of a forward core?
We’ve looked at both the pros and the cons of any potential trade involving Taylor Hall, but it is important to keep in mind that this is just a bit of fun – we are by no means saying that a trade involving Taylor Hall and the Vegas Golden Knights could definitely happen.
Pros to trading for Taylor Hall
First and foremost, Taylor Hall is a proven elite scorer and playmaker in the NHL with one heck of a track record to back that statement up.
Dating back to his days with the Edmonton Oilers, Hall has rightly carved out a reputation as one of the most dynamic players in the league and he’s the type of dangerous game-changer any franchise craves.
Hall, despite missing most of this year because of injury, is in the prime of his career and he played at the very peak of his powers in 2017-18 as he became the first-ever Devils player to win the Hart Memorial Trophy after tallying 93 points in what was a historic season for the player.
He even had 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points in just 33 games this year before injury struck, on a Devils team that was simply woeful from the very get-go.
The left-wing has amassed 511 points (202 goals, 309 assists) in 562 NHL regular season games, which are some pretty impressive stats.
At 28-years-old the best is probably still to come for Hall too and his ability to mix power, speed and a dazzling array of skill is a lethal combination.
He’s made it known that the Devils have to add talented pieces around him and that is an understandable demand given that any player worth their salt will want to compete for a championship year in and year out.
A team like the Golden Knights would no doubt intrigue Hall given the plethora of talent they already have on the roster, including the likes of Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty.
Hall would be one of the leading lights on a genuine contender and his arrival would only serve to increase Vegas’ window when it comes to winning a Stanley Cup or two.
The Golden Knights are already the hottest ticket in town but adding a player of Hall’s calibre would only serve to heighten the feel-good factor around the team and it would no doubt boost ticket and merchandise sales.
Hall is one of the premier players in the NHL and he’s got all the weapons in his armory to be able to throw a team on his back and carry them on a deep postseason run.
He oozes magic on the ice and would be able to lead the Golden Knights’ first or second line with ease. Hall also has 145 power play points under his belt during his regular season career, making him a potent weapon for any team on the man advantage.
Cons to trading for Taylor Hall
Perhaps the biggest stumbling block to any potential trade for Taylor Hall would be the fact that the Golden Knights are currently in salary cap hell.
With already less than $1million of cap space to play with against the projected cap of $83 million for 2019-20, Vegas don’t have a lot of wriggle room when it comes to bolstering their roster with fresh faces.
In order to facilitate what would be a blockbuster trade for Hall, the Knights would have to put together a substantial package involving some key assets in a bid to create cap space.
William Karlsson, who enters this offseason as a restricted free agent, Colin Miller and one of Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith would more than likely have to be included as part of any potential trade.
Would that be too steep a price to pay? You would have to edge towards arguing yes given the level of offensive production Karlsson, Marchessault and Smith have brought to the party for Vegas over the last two years.
Also, with a current cap hit of $6 million as part of the eight-year deal signed with the Edmonton Oilers back in 2012, Hall will be in line for a significant payday and, even if the Golden Knights could somehow pull a miracle out of the bag and get a deal done, they would have very little left in the bank to be able to fill any remaining holes on the roster.
Hall has one year left on his current deal and will become an unrestricted free agent on July, 1 2020 if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Devils after July, 1 of this year. That means he wouldn’t be guaranteed to remain with any team he’s traded to should that happen, making it a massive risk for any franchise interested in obtaining his services.
Another factor to consider is Hall’s health. As already mentioned, he missed 49 games in 2018-19 and underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in February.
He also had surgery on his left knee during the 2016-17 season to repair a torn meniscus, which raises some concern over the left-wing’s long-term condition.
Two surgeries in quick succession on the same knee is bound to cause some wear and tear down the road, but the truth is we won’t know whether or not Hall’s natural game which is based on speed, skill and raw power has been hampered until he’s able to get back on the ice and compete.
Only time will tell but Hall’s injury history will no doubt act as a red flag for front offices should he become available in a trade.
Conclusion
Is a trade for Taylor Hall doable?
In truth, and as we’ve mentioned before, this is a pure speculation piece and there is no indication that the Vegas Golden Knights have any kind of interest in the forward.
For starters, there is no concrete proof as of yet that Hall actually wants out of New Jersey, although the old saying that ‘there’s no smoke without fire’ is worth keeping in mind when assessing and dissecting this situation.
Of course, should the player come out and indicate that he’s ready for a fresh start then every General Manager in the NHL would no doubt have their attention grabbed given Hall’s stature and body of work.
Every front office in sports will always consider making a trade if it is going to help take their team to the next level, which Hall undoubtedly would, so you wouldn’t be surprised if the Golden Knights were keeping an eye on this current situation.
However, there are two main caveats to consider here. Firstly, Vegas have arguably one of the best top six forward units in the NHL with enough firepower to sink a small fleet of battleships.
You’d have to move one, two or even three pieces out in order to accommodate Hall, which would completely throw off the balance of this team and disrupt the strong chemistry that has been forged between the top line of Reilly Smith-William Karlsson-Jonathan Marchessault and the second line of Max Pacioretty-Paul Stastny-Mark Stone.
Secondly, and as we’ve already covered in depth, Vegas simply doesn’t have the spending power to be able to go out and acquire a player of Hall’s calibre without breaking up what is already a Stanley Cup contender.
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They are already pressing right up against the cap and would have to move significant bodies off the roster in order to make cap space for Hall.
So, while it is exciting to dream about having a superstar like Hall light up the NHL in a Golden Knights jersey, the likelihood is that the forward probably won’t end up in Sin City even if these reports of him wanting out of the New Jersey Devils are true.
It was fun to speculate and Taylor Hall would of course be a major asset to any team in the league, but the Vegas Golden Knights can already boast plenty of star power on a formidable roster and their attention should be on making subtle tweaks to their lineup, rather than making huge waves by adding yet another heavyweight to the equation.