Friedman: Doesn’t see Taylor Hall returning 1st Round Pick

[Cor]

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[KirkAlbuquerque]

Yeah I think GMs have caught on to this guy

 

[Canovin]

Gotta think Friedman is a member here since he posts whatever we post here

 

[CraigsList]

Teams will explore other options before Hall.

Maybe a team will do a cond. 1st/2nd depending on how far they get into the playoffs, but that’s it. Buffalo obviously has to eat half of the salary and maybe take a bad contract back that expires.

 

[themelkman]

Not Surprising. He has had some awful games

 

[Tairy Greene]

He could end up being a steal for the right team. Imagine Oilers giving up less for Hall than they gave for Athanasiou?

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

I thought every team needs a player like Taylor. 2 goals and 17 points in 31 games.

I'd love to see what teams would be willing to give for Jeff Skinner though if they ever would entertain adding him to their team.

 

[DropTheGloves]

Gee who would've thunk that an $8M one-dimensional scorer who has struggled to deliver even in that dimension would be worth less than a 1st? Add in the fact he controls his fate with an NMC and Hall's worth isn't anywhere close to your typical rental despite what some here have tried to argue.

 

[Big Empty]

Not surprised. Taylor Hall is not a guy you win with. He never has been and he never will be. Similar to Duchene in that sense.

An anonymous exec said this in The Athletic's deadline piece a while back.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Of course not, his value has only gone down in the past two years. No way BUF gets anything close to what NJ got for him.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Given how little I've noticed him in the Sabres games I've seen...I get it.

I wouldn't bet against him bouncing back next season, but given the cap situation and how listless he looks...not the kinda asset I'm going all-in on as a GM right now.

 

[Llamamoto]

Not surprised. Taylor Hall is not a guy you win with. He never has been and he never will be. Similar to Duchene in that sense.

An anonymous exec said this in The Athletic's deadline piece a while back.

He carried a bad Devils team to the playoffs.

I think the whole "he's not a winner" thing is completely overblown. He's played on the Oilers, Sabres, Devils, and Coyotes. The teams that he's played on are the issue, not his play.

 

[CraigsList]

He carried a bad Devils team to the playoffs.

I think the whole "he's not a winner" thing is completely overblown. He's played on the Oilers, Sabres, Devils, and Coyotes. The teams that he's played on are the issue, not his play.

He stepped it up on 3/4 of those teams. His lackluster play in Buffalo is extremely concerning for a future contract. Might have to take a lot less to get term.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah there's no way that Hall brings back a 1st with how he has played this year.

Something like what Vanek brought back, which was a 2nd and Collberg IIRC, seems more realistic.

 

[kevsh]

In retrospect, did Hall choose the Sabres as his desired destination for this year, or were they the only team that really wanted him?

 

[bigdaddyk88]

He was the best player on the penguins last night

 

[NyQuil]

Friedman trying to lower the price for the Leafs.

 

[Chardo]

He carried a bad Devils team to the playoffs.

I think the whole "he's not a winner" thing is completely overblown. He's played on the Oilers, Sabres, Devils, and Coyotes. The teams that he's played on are the issue, not his play.

At some point, great players are supposed to elevate the team instead of being held back.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

I’d throw a 2nd at him, got to get that first overall ... granted I’d rather get first overall next year

 

[TheBloodyNine]

File this in the “no shit” department for my man Elliotte. Taylor Hall is an out and out loser. Any smart GM should not want this guy within 10 feet of their team.

 

[Jumptheshark]

If the Sabres keep 50% of his remaining cap hit? I think a team who thinks they can go for a deep run could gamble on Hall

 

[VoidCreature]

From the Sabres games I’ve watched this year Hall’s play is very concerning. He’s clearly lost a step from his heyday as a Hart trophy winner.

He won’t shoot 3% for the rest of his career, but I don’t know he has another big goal scoring year left in him either.

 

[Fatass]

At some point, great players are supposed to elevate the team instead of being held back.

I thought Hall would do better as second fiddle to Eichel. Maybe Hall needs to be a second line guy?

 

[BertCorbeau]

In retrospect, did Hall choose the Sabres as his desired destination for this year, or were they the only team that really wanted him?

Probably chose the Sabres because he figured it was his best chance to get the best contract in the long run. I guess he figured he could put up a strong enough year to get a higher value multi-yes contract than was being offered in the market.

In return he makes a really good salary for 1 season.

But it's really backfired on him. Even with a trade and strong finish to the season, he's probably only going to get a 1 or 2 year deal in the off-season again.

 

[kp61c]

I understand Buffalo is bad and there is a river of tears to take a swim in, but what about 2 goals in 31 games? Wasn't he the best player in the league a couple years back?