Taylor Hall Part of Trade to Boston Bruins, Includes Second-Round Pick

There was lots of talk about where Taylor Hall would wind up and plenty of action Sunday night, just hours before the NHL Trade Deadline. But, news has broken that Hall has been traded to the Boston Bruins along with Curtis Lazar in exchange for Anders Bjork and 2nd round draft pick.

As per a report by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Sabres retained 50 percent of Taylor Hall’s $8 M salary/AAV to facilitate the trade.

Related: Taylor Hall Not Worth the Reported NHL Trade Deadline Price Tag

Taylor Hall to BOS

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 12, 2021

While not everyone will love that a team believes Hall is going to turn things around this season, if you believe in his ability, this is a ridiculously good deal for the Bruins considering the rumored asking price from Buffalo, I don’t understand the urgency to get a deal done, at that price, at midnight before the deadline.

It will be interesting to see how this trade turns out for the Bruins. It was clear they were looking for secondary scoring but Hall has not had a strong 37 games with the Sabres this season. He has struggled to find his scoring touch and registered only 19 points (two of which are goals). He’s making $8 million this season and far more was expected of him.

Could This Be A Trade That Teams Will Be Glad They Didn’t Make?

There are fans on some teams tonight asking why their club didn’t step up. Specifically, Oilers fans are upset that this deal didn’t get done and now that it was revealed the asking price was only a second-round pick, they aren’t terribly happy. At the same time, the way Hall has played this season, there’s no guarantee that he’ll rebound.

It’s likely a strong gamble by the Bruins. Get Hall out of the environment in Buffalo and see what he can do on your second line. You’re not committed to him, but if he pans out, the Bruins may look to extend him in the offseason.

Next: Oilers Looking to Add a Depth Defenseman Before NHL Trade Deadline