The Taylor Hall Thread

[Nature's Minister]

I am super happy he is a Devil. Pretty much exactly the kind of player necessary to make the team a threat again.

 

[Whaddagoal]

There seems to be a strange cautiousness around the board? I mean for years people were clamoring for a star forwards...

We just got one and the excitement level seems to need a double dose of Viagra.

Cautiously quite happy..... with this acquisition. We've acquired a legit high flying forward (again!)....

Just bummed we lost Larsson.....

Give me time, man give me time.

 

[JimEIV]

I think when the burden of having to "do to much" is lifted, it's beneficial for players. Especially talented young players. I think Hall is going to thrive in this environment... he no longer has the burden of an entire city on his shoulders. The burden of being a #1 overall and having to turn around Edmonton is gone.

It's not like NJ is some powerhouse, but the expectations here will be nothing compared to Edmonton. Not only that, he is coming to a team with some very good leaders in Schneider, Henrique, Greene and Zajac whose job it will be to make his transition easier. I'm sure the Henrique connection will be a valuable one for him.

I think Hall is going to blossom here. And that blossoming might not necessarily be on the score sheet, it might be the maturation into a better all around player.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Its good you bring that up because that was one of my initial concerns. But our situation here as you said it very different. Lots of vets, winning tradition, low media pressure, etc. etc.

I had recalled the Ference post-game video when he was ripping into his youngsters on the team (collectively i guess), but its was hard not to remember that video, basically he was saying they were not playing to the coaches wishes, and not caring about being a professional to win.

Obviously he wasn't necessarily directing about Hall specifically, but about their entire crop of young kids....all of those high draft picks. So maybe he wasn't the issue, could have been one of the others..

I can't find it anymore (the video of the oilers postgame), maybe Oilers got it off the net, but i remember it vividly.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Of course, coming from Andrew Ference, the guy who flipped the bird to everyone/crowd and then denied it all, maybe should be taken with a grain of salt......



Can't wait to get camp started so that we can actually talk about current Hall events and get a feel for it.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

In fairness to Hall, I think most of his coaches in Edmonton were rather incompetent (and part of a coach's job is to make sure that players listen and instill discipline in a locker room) and it sounds like he was one of the few Oilers who poured his heart and soul onto the ice every night, and one of the few Oilers who cared when the team got embarrassed in a loss. Honestly, it sounds if anything as if maybe he cared a bit too much at times and lost his temper because of that, but I'd rather he have passion that needs to be channeled in the right direction than not enough passion. He was one of the few players that could be successful in the dumpster fire that was Edmonton, so that probably says he was doing something right, and he was really their only first overall pick until McDavid that hadn't been a bit disappointing in my opinion.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Yeah this was before McLellan came in.

I'm not at all stapling those incidents to him, my slate with him is pretty open, mostly because i didn't follow his team too much in detail, or him really at all. Too focused on here and Eastern conference stuff.

Just commenting that remember the main board thread on HF about it a few years ago, but that was an initial thought of mine when we first traded him for Larsson. (probably wrongly so).

Once i see him play regularly ill get a feel for his actual true game. Hard to make calls on him from few a games caught in the season with him in it, and then not really focusing on him because I'm following NJ..

And if he's another player who wears his heart on his sleeves, I definitely like those types of players.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Need to get that Hall jersey ASAP

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Yeah this was before McLellan came in.

I'm not at all stapling those incidents to him, my slate with him is pretty open, mostly because i didn't follow his team too much in detail, or him really at all. Too focused on here and Eastern conference stuff.

Just commenting that remember the main board thread on HF about it a few years ago, but that was an initial thought of mine when we first traded him for Larsson. (probably wrongly so).

Once i see him play regularly ill get a feel for his actual true game. Hard to make calls on him from few a games caught in the season with him in it, and then not really focusing on him because I'm following NJ..

And if he's another player who wears his heart on his sleeves, I definitely like those types of players.

I didn't really follow the Oilers too much, either, but I did snoop around their forum for their perspective on Hall's attitude, and it certainly seems like most of them think those rumors are overblown or invented by the media, so I'm going to trust their assessment about Hall, since they were the ones tuning into watch him every night. I'm not saying that Hall is a saint--he's probably a bit headstrong, temperamental, and frustrated about being on the laughingstock of the league every year since he was drafted--but I don't think his character issues are anything really uncommon for young, talented players to be accused of, and it sounds like he was one of the few Oilers who cared about winning on a regular basis. Bottom line for me is (assuming McDavid was off the table), Hall was the player I would have wanted most out of the Edmonton forwards. After McDavid, I think he's the best of the bunch, and we got him for a good price. I'm just giddy whenever I picture him in our lineup, driving play and scoring goals and bringing a dynamic talent we haven't had in years. I just can't imagine him not being loved in NJ and transforming this team.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I wonder what number he'll take...I kinda want him to pick a high number in the 80s or 90s. 84 or 94 maybe.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Whatever number he takes, I'm buying his jersey. Then I'll have a nice Henrique and Hall set.

 

[Kurt Cobain]

I was thinking number 9 would look good on Hall. I can't remember if anyone has that number. My brain isn't working this morning lol.

 

[DEVILS130]

I think he's gonna go with 9

 

[Better Call Sal]

I was thinking #9 as well. This has thrown a wrench into my next jersey purchase, I was thinking Palms but Hall is tough to pass up.

I'm so excited about being able to watch him play. His 5-on-5 statistics are so impressive, and that was obviously a major flaw in our team last year. Adding his dynamic to our powerplay as well could make us even more dangerous on the man advantage next year.

With Hall, Palms, Cammy and Bouch, we've got some real good shooters on those units.

 

[NJDevils17]

I hope Hall takes 9. I've been waiting for someone to take it forever since Parise left.

 

[The Wumpus]

With Hall, Palms, Cammy and Bouch, we've got some real good shooters on those units.

Hall isn't a noted shooter or finisher. His goal totals are relatively modest for an elite offensive player. He creates a lot of chances with his speed and tenacity, but doesn't necessarily finish most of them. I think Henrique is an ideal center for him because he's more of a finisher rather than a puck-carrier.

I'd like to see them try Hall-Henrique-DSP. DSP can park himself in front of the net and bang home the chances Hall creates.

I'm still getting a sense of the details of Hall's game, but this is the picture I'm forming.

And for numbers, Hall is a single-digit guy. I see him as an 8. Twice what he was in Edmonton.

 

[KovalSNIPE]

I hope he goes with 9. I've got a Parise christmas jersey I'd switch

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

 

[KovalSNIPE]

He looks good in the red and black

 

[Devilswede]

Hi, Oilers fan here. I know it seems 70% of hfoil is pretty high on Hall but I don't think that is the sentiment amongst most hockey knowledgeable people in Edmonton. The feeling is that he is overrated especially in his hands and puck skills and hockey iq. Edmonton management were never going to bring him back next year. There's a feeling his sulking and pouting attitude brought down the rest of the team and was a real annoyance to the coaches.

These are some of the reasons he did not make the Sochi Olympics team after a career year (top 10 in scoring) and not on the World Cup team after a decent World Championships. He was overrated here in Edmonton.

That being said I think this trade will light a fire under him and he will do everything in his power to be the best player he can be. He got complacent here. This will knock him and his ego down a notch. I think he's a player that can have high highs and low lows. Not very mentally strong at this point. I see him becoming a players you guys will either love or hate down the road depending on how he continues down his career path. good luck.

We're really happy to have him. Even if he's got flaws and whatever.

The hockey world knows about Hall and the numbers don't lie. He's one of the best wingers in the world.

You guys got a really good defenseman in return for him. Both teams win and get what they wanted respectively. We should both be happy about the trade.

 

[TheRobotDevil13]

I love the trade you cant teach chemistry or bromance.Loved Larsson but Im still amped over the Hall trade

 

[NorwegianDevil]

Im moist.

 

[BahlDeep]

I seriously think we need a number 2 center, not that Zajac can't fill that position, but the day Zajac becomes our third line center, we will be contenders.

What does this have to do with Hall?
Henrique will be a number one center with Hall on his wing, assuming they still have the mojo they had together in juniors.

 

[NJDevs26]

I seriously think we need a number 2 center, not that Zajac can't fill that position, but the day Zajac becomes our third line center, we will be contenders.

I agree...but one step at a time. People have been complaining forever we'll never get a gamebreaking/top forward cause we'll never tank or Cory's too good to let us tank, well we just got one without tanking

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

I think Zajac would be a fine number two center on a contending team, or Zacha or McLeod could fill that role down the line, but that is way down the line, so I'm really not worried about that right now. Hall changes our forward corps drastically as soon as this season, and that is what makes me grin like the Cheshire Cat.