NHL: 3 free agents that could be on the move
By Jasmine Yen
The NHL’s free agency period begins on October the 9th. Here are three players that will be on the move.
This year’s NHL free agency class is loaded with lots of high-profile names and it will be very fun to follow all the moves. With the salary cap remaining flat and lots of uncertainty surrounding the 2020-21 season, a lot of unconventional decisions will be made.
Here are three free agents that will be on the move this offseason.
1. Taylor Hall – Arizona Coyotes
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While the Arizona Coyotes and Taylor Hall have been having talks, the philosophies of both parties don’t match up. The Coyotes will be looking to shed salaries this offseason and there are many rumours circulating on a potential Oliver Ekman-Larsson trade. Arizona seems to be heading towards a rebuild and that is very far away from what Hall is interested in.
When the Coyotes were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche, Hall was asked about what kind of team he wants to sign with. Here is his answer.
"“I think honestly it’s probably all winning. Any player at this stage in their career who’s had the career I’ve had, 10 seasons only making the playoffs twice, that’s really what I’m after."
While many people still think highly of Hall because he won the Hart Trophy in 2018, he has only scored 30+ goals once and has recorded 80+ points twice in ten seasons. His season with the Coyotes did not go as planned and definitely cost him some money.
He currently makes 6 million dollars a season and even though a pay raise and long-term stability is nice, is he willing to take less money to join a contending team? The dollars are drying up due to the pandemic and wingers don’t command the same price as centers.
At 28 years old, this is the best chance in his career to take a secure contract but will teams be willing to pay the price? It will be fascinating to see what kind of deal he ends up signing.