Why they traded Hall (article)

[CantHaveTkachev]

What Larsson brings could be replaced by a myriad of top four D in the league. There are only a few Taylor Halls in this league.

like who?
cause the Leafs could use one right about now

 

[Hockey Nightmare]

like who?
cause the Leafs could use one right about now

The leafs are in the playoffs right now. And they were in the playoffs last year. And they'll likely make it next year.

Don't ask me about the oilers next year.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

The leafs are in the playoffs right now. And they were in the playoffs last year. And they'll likely make it next year.

Don't ask me about the oilers next year.

still didn't answer my question...shocking

 

[Little Fury]

If that were true, why did we go without that for an entire decade?

We had a Adam Larsson-tier player and shipped him off to Montreal for nothing.

Hell we had Visnovsky, Whitney (before his foot fell off), and Pitkänen who were all better than Larsson. Problem was, our old management seemed to think you were only allowed one top 4 calibre D men at a time.

 

[Hockey Nightmare]

still didn't answer my question...shocking

Sorry, I thought you could read between the lines. In other words, the leafs have enough firepower that they don't need a Larsson to make the playoffs. We gave away our second best offensive player and for what? Where are our playoffs?!? Last year? The leafs easily made it this year.

 

[TB12]

I know it sounds harsh but I knew Larsson wasn't as much of a gamer as we would like by the amount of time he took off

I know it sounds harsh but give your head a shake.
Then delete your account.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Sorry, I thought you could read between the lines. In other words, the leafs have enough firepower that they don't need a Larsson to make the playoffs. We gave away our second best offensive player and for what? Where are our playoffs?!? Last year? The leafs easily made it this year.

the Isles have more firepower than the Leafs and had less win than the Oilers ...despite the gain in talent

it goes both ways

 

[CupofOil]

Yes. Because those two trades were basically owner mandated. Give away the asset, don't care if we lose the trade as long as we get money or save money.

Hall/Larsson wasn't like that. It was a 'hockey trade'.

Why do the optics matter? Those are still the worst trades in Oilers history, the fact that it was a "sale" makes it worse. They sold off two of the best players of all time in their prime, it doesn't get any worse than that.
I just think that some of you are exaggerating just how awful this trade is. It's a bad trade but it's not one of the worst in history, it only looks that way because of the career season Hall is having and the career worst season Larsson is having.

Even if we want to narrow it down to pure hockey trades, the Smyth, Pronger and especially Reinhart trades are arguably worse. I don't think the Reinhart trade is even arguable but I guess that's just a matter of opinion.

 

[DavidHasselhoffsFist]

Do people actually watch Larsson play or do they just look at the goals/assists column?

 

[Supermassive]

Do people actually watch Larsson play or do they just look at the goals/assists column?

FWIW, he’s a very solid defensive 2D for me. I’m a fan of both players.

 

[McAsuno]

FWIW, he’s a very solid defensive 2D for me. I’m a fan of both players.

Yep, that's how I see it too. I'll take Larsson on my team any day. Trading him alone for Taylor Hall though? Nope. That's still a bad trade. The fact that Chiarelli couldn't get more than just Larsson is just inexcusable. Terrible trade right from the start.

 

[MoontoScott]

I know it sounds harsh but I knew Larsson wasn't as much of a gamer as we would like by the amount of time he took off

His father passed away. There are far more important things in life than hockey. Was the guy supposed to send a card in between periods?

 

[harpoon]

Nobody is justifying the trade. Do you even read the posts?

There are people justifying the trade. Hell, there are even people suggesting that Hall was 'dragging down the team' and Chiarelli did right to trade him away. Its kind of why this thread still exists as a flaming pustule on the face of the board.

 

[McGoMcD]

hard to imagine people that defended this trade would do this trade over again!!!

Give 100 oiler fans the chance to reverse this trade and 100 do so. Some will argue it was good, but they would reverse it in a heartbeat.

 

[McGoMcD]

The fact is that the Devils wouldn't have traded Larsson for Eberle. They weren't interested in trading him unless they had their doors blown off, and Chiarelli decided to do that. That trade doesn't happen for anything less than an overpay by the Oilers, and they'll have to live with that.

Think of it this way. Right now the Oilers have no need or interest in trading Draisaitl. Imagine the kind of offer it would take to make them consider trading Draisaitl. That's what Chiarelli did to a lesser extent to convince the Devils to move Hall. I'm convinced that if he had managed to build a balanced team following that deal, we probably never look back. But the way this year went magnified that deal 10x.

I agree, but you simply don't make the trade. The fact NJ asked for the moon and Chia handed it over shows what a terrible GM he is.

 

[McGoMcD]

Do people actually watch Larsson play or do they just look at the goals/assists column?

I watch him play. I see he is fairly slow, very good positionally though. Makes great outlet passes. but then is invisible in the offensive zone. In sum he is a incomplete D man which makes him a 3-4 type. He just needs to do more to be considered a top paring guy.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

FWIW, he’s a very solid defensive 2D for me. I’m a fan of both players.

IMO Larsson could really take another step up in his game if he improved his speed a touch and got back some offensive confidence from his days in the SHL. If not he will just be a solid shut down guy.

Come on now BBO.

This goes beyond how each respective team performs in a given year.

Adam Larsson is never in his life going to have a season even fractionally close to what Taylor Hall did this year or did in 2 seasons in Edmonton.

We're talking about a superstar level player who has now finished top 10 in NHL scoring in 3 of his seasons.

Seriously, you've been saying all year that the only way that you'd trade RNH was if it was for a true #1 d-man otherwise no way. But you're somehow okay with this trade where we traded a substantially better player for a #3?

The Oilers making the playoffs last year took the sting off the trade. It didn't make it a win for us. The only way this trade will be a win is if Larsson establishes himself as a legitimate #1 d-man who can challenge for the Noris.

Otherwise it will never be a win. HK97 can try and bull**** his way through "addition through subtraction" or "change of scenery" or whatever horse ****.

Hall was a superstar here. He's a superstar in New Jersey.

Adam Larsson isn't close.

Larsson had a damn good season 2 seasons ago, Hall did not have a very good one 2 seasons ago. I maintain that Hall was headed in the wrong direction when he was traded and that he was an issue in the room. What Hall is now and was for a couple of seasons 4ish years ago is not a guy that you trade for Larsson, however we weren't trading that player at that point, we were trading the potential of that player. If Hall were held in as high of a regard as many here hold him in he would've fetched more from another team, it really is as simple as that IMO. If Larsson can rebound and have at least as good of a season next year as he did in his first season here it will at least look like a trade that cost a ton to fill a hole but a massive hole filled nonetheless. It kind of sucks that we haven't gotten more offense out of Larsson but that kind of seems par for the coarse with our coaching staff.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I watch him play. I see he is fairly slow, very good positionally though. Makes great outlet passes. but then is invisible in the offensive zone. In sum he is a incomplete D man which makes him a 3-4 type. He just needs to do more to be considered a top paring guy.

When healthy he's a top pairing shut down guy.

 

[McFlash97]

Hall doing what Hall does. An absolute beast for the devils in the playoffs. Best player on the ice both teams included. In his first dance too. Chiarelli is such a goof.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Do people actually watch Larsson play or do they just look at the goals/assists column?

Exactly!!!!

If Larsson keeps the puck outta the net , I’m happy . I’m more into +|- . If a forward scores 40 goals and is on the ice for 80 against, that tells me he does not buy into the defensive game. Klefbom had a great year last year and I think it was because of Larson. Nurse was paired with Larsson this year and he improved. I strongly believe we will be back next year. Sure looks like we have a 1st line . Very important to get a scoring winger for Drai . I would really like Puju to get a spot on his wing and run with it. There was a point in the year that I thought Puju was there but re-gressed. I blame that on Todd

 

[Killer Z]

There is no justification possible. This trade was complete gross negligence on the part of our GM.

I have mentioned this before, if the Oilers had a chance to trade Larsson today for Seguin, Pastranak, Voracek, Benn, Kopitar, etc. (i.e. another top 20 forward in the league), etc. would they? The answer is of course, yes. Than why the F did we trade Hall for Larsson? Insanity, pure insanity.

Chia should be fired for that idiotic decision alone. Compound the other decisions he has made in his short tenure, and it becomes mind boggling how he is still employed.

Let's all pray that he does not trade Nuge for Chara this offseason.

 

[CupofOil]

There are people justifying the trade. Hell, there are even people suggesting that Hall was 'dragging down the team' and Chiarelli did right to trade him away. Its kind of why this thread still exists as a flaming pustule on the face of the board.

Nobody outside of a few posters who have an extreme bias against Hall have said anything like that.
Saying that it's the worst trade of the last 15 years or the worst trade in Oilers history is just as bad as those who flame Hall. Both sides are contributing to the flaming pustule.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

Not saying they would've because I have little doubt they offered Eberle. But just because they asked for Hall it doesn't mean they had to give them Hall.

The thing is, Adam Larsson was not on the trade block at the time of the trade. The Devils were not openly shopping him. That past season prior to the trade, he evolved into our best defenseman, playing on the top pairing with Andy Greene.

He wasn't going to be let go unless we got an offensive gamebreaker forward that the team sorely lacked. No other players except McDavid would of got the deal done. Even Draisaitl at the time probably wouldn't of worked for New Jersey because he just finished his first full season and hadn't yet broke out to the player he is now.

 

[Little Fury]

the Isles have more firepower than the Leafs and had less win than the Oilers ...despite the gain in talent

it goes both ways

An dthe lesson is: you don't need to pay a premium for D when you have league average goaltending.

Do people actually watch Larsson play or do they just look at the goals/assists column?

Good reads, positioning, excellent stick, extremely physical.

Also: not very fast/mobile, poor first pass, no offensive ability.

A solid #2 D when paired with a high-end puck mover, otherwise a very good second pair anchor who doesn't tilt the ice and doesn't contribute to the attack.

 

[Fourier]

Sorry, I thought you could read between the lines. In other words, the leafs have enough firepower that they don't need a Larsson to make the playoffs. We gave away our second best offensive player and for what? Where are our playoffs?!? Last year? The leafs easily made it this year.

The Leafs are in the playoffs as much because they had terrific goaltending as they are because of their "fire power". I think we have seen early in this round what happens to them when the goaltending breaks down. If Talbot and the Oilers back-ups played as well as Andersen and McElhenney this year they are probably in the playoffs even though their three top defensemen were playing hurt for much of the year. As a rough number if the Oilers had the same team save percentage as the Leafs they would have given up 45 fewer goals this year.