New Jersey Devils' winger Taylor Hall continues to criticize Edmonton Oilers
New Jersey Devils winger Taylor Hall criticized the Edmonton Oilers when they traded him in June, and he has continued to pile on the organization.
The wisdom of trading a 24-year old winger coming off a 65-point season for an underachieving defenseman can be debated, but that’s just what the Edmonton Oilers did by sending Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Larsson back in late-June.
Hall, the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, immediately said he felt slighted by the trade that sent him to the Devils. He’s since added that he wants to win more in New Jersey, after never reaching the playoffs in Edmonton. Hall later suggested, in a radio interview, he will not sign with the Oilers if he becomes an unrestricted free agent after the 2019-20 season.
Hall reported to Devils’ training camp on Thursday, but he is not done with his criticism of the Oilers’ organization.
“I would say the same things today,” Hall said, according to The Record’s Andrew Gross. “I did not step over the line. Just the way everything went down, I still hold a bit of resentment toward (the Oilers).”
Hall’s 65 points would have made him New Jersey’s leading scorer last season, and over 381 NHL games he has 328 points (132 goals and 196 assists). His posted a career-high 80 points (27 goals, 53 assists) in 2013-14, but his plus/minus (-15) was a career-worst. Hall has been a Western Conference All-Star three times in the last four seasons.
New Jersey general manager Ray Shero said he hopes Hall uses the feelings he has about the Oilers as motivation. Based on all the public indications we’ve seen, there’s every reason to think that will be case.
The Devils (84 points) were not a dramatically better team than the Oilers (70 points) last season, due in part to scoring the fewest goals in the NHL (184). The addition of Hall automatically helps that lack of offensive punch, and if he’s using a perceived outside slight as motivation the Devils will benefit even more.
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