Taylor Hall Says He Wasn’t Holding Out to Join Boston Bruins at Deadline

There was a belief that Taylor Hall was thinking Boston or bust at this year’s NHL trade deadline. Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams sort of hinted as much when he tried to explain why he was only able to get a second-round pick for a player who had huge offensive upside and could make a massive difference for a playoff team as a rental. Hall says reports that he held out for the Bruins isn’t accurate.

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Taylor Hall to the Boston Bruins might be the single best transaction this NHL season.

I talked to Taylor about why it’s working out, and what he learned about himself at his four previous career stops. https://t.co/PmVYtnLNoQ

— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) May 27, 2021

To say the trade has worked out for Hall and the Bruins would be a massive understatement. Now just 29 years old, Hall has scored eight goals in 16 regular-season games with the Bruins, and added two more in their first-round series win against the Washington Capitals. He’ll be moving onto the second round and the Bruins look to be in good shape with Hall as part of one of the most dangerous second lines in hockey.

The fit in Boston made a lot of sense and this was a team that Hall was always interested in joining. He said after he was traded there that the “the no-movement clause really helped me become a Bruin.” That said, it wasn’t the only team he was willing to join.

He told Emily Kaplan of ESPN that he would have joined another team, if a playoff team with a strong culture made sense. He noted, “Leading up to the deadline, there were a couple teams that were interested, I’m not going to say who they were, but if it would have worked out, I would have gone there.” He added that he wasn’t just holding out for the Bruins but was eager to join a playoff team. “I was eager to join somewhere that had good culture, and where winning was sustainable. Because I was looking for somewhere I could re-sign, not just the 20 games to end the season.”

Staying Long-Term In Boston is On Hall’s Mind

“I do want to play here, not just for one or two more years, hopefully longer than that,” Hall said. He added that he’s not sure what his value is on an extension, which is understandable because he’s basically had two entirely different seasons over the course of about 60 games.

That said, he’s not terribly worried about it. “I have much bigger things to worry about as a player, as a teammate. I knew it was a great city, but I’ve been surprised at how much better it’s been than I even thought it was. So hopefully it all works out.”

Next: Zdeno Chara Not Sure If He’ll Return to Capitals or the NHL