Maple Leafs Possible Interest in Taylor Hall a Distraction for the Bruins?

The consensus seems to be that a deal will get done between the Boston Bruins and Taylor Hall. Hall wants to stay in Boston and the Bruins are reportedly eager to keep him. Seems like a slam dunk, right? Maybe not. As per a report by TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Toronto Maple Leafs might be giving some time to the idea, perhaps even having a couple of conversations about kicking tires on Hall in free agency this summer.

Dreger reports on the latest TSN’s Insider Trading, if the Bruins and Hall can’t figure out the details on an extension before July 28th, other teams, including the Maple Leafs would be interested. He explained:

“But there’s outside interest as well, including from the Toronto Maple Leafs, which may surprise some. Toronto has interest, I’m sure, if they can’t get Zach Hyman signed, or depending on what happens with Freddy Andersen. 

There are a lot of teams with interest in Taylor Hall but he’d like to extend his time in Boston.”

Hall Is An Interesting Thought in Toronto

If, for some reason, Hall doesn’t work things out with the Bruins, there are few things to consider here. First, can the Maple Leafs afford him? If Hall doesn’t sign in Boston, it’s likely because he wants more than the team wants to pay. As such, he’s probably not going to take a discount to come to Toronto. For the Maple Leafs, if they’re going to spend $5-$6 million for a forward, why not just sign Hyman?

Second, is this the kind of player Toronto needs? What makes Hyman so unique is his forechecking and penalty killing, along with his ability to play a top-six role. Hall is a north/south forward who, when playing well is extremely productive. When he’s not, he doesn’t give you much. We’ve seen evidence of that this past season. The Maple Leafs have a lot of offense already. Is adding someone else who only provides offense a good idea?

Hall had eight goals and 14 points in 16 games after he joined Boston. This came following a lousy season in Buffalo where he posted just two goals and 19 points in 37 games with the Sabres. He added three goals and five points in 11 playoff games. He’s a quality player, but he’s not a slam dunk signing.

What Is Hall Worth?

Not long ago, Hall said, “I don’t even know what my value is, at this point. I feel like I had two different seasons. I’m not looking to absolutely maximize my value at this point in my career.” He added, “I’ve been fortunate enough to make some good money in this league, and at this point, it’s about more of a fit for me than maybe money or a long-term thing. You want to find a home for the next few years here and we’ll see what happens.”

Could that be Toronto?

The Maple Leafs are projected to have just under $11 million in cap space this off-season, per CapFriendly, with 16 players under contract. They have major questions when it comes to the future of Morgan Rielly and their goaltending and adding Hall looks nice on paper, but how it affects those contracts is important to consider too.

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