NHL Free Agency: Taylor Hall considering one-year deal with contender

Could Taylor Hall take a lesson from NBA players and join a Stanley Cup contender on a short-term deal in NHL free agency?

This offseason should be absolutely chaotic. And I mean that in the best way possible. With a flat salary cap and a lot of fascinating free agents, there’s going to be a lot of movement and maybe some things we’ve never seen before as hockey fans. One of those things could be Taylor Hall signing a one-year deal in NHL free agency.

As recently as 12 months ago, it was a foregone conclusion Hall would sign a long-term deal. But, as they do, things have changed since then. Hall didn’t have an ideal contract year, though at least he managed to prove he was over the injury that hampered him during the 2018-19 season.

Also, the novel coronavirus pandemic threw a monkey wrench into the NHL’s plans. It forced them to cancel the rest of the regular season in March and has done a number on the league and its teams financially. The league’s salary cap ceiling will be stagnant at $81.5 million. Teams have been operating under the assumption that it would be higher. And as they say, when you assume… well, you know the rest.

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Mike Chambers of The Denver Post is reporting the Avalanche are open to signing Hall to a one-year deal and the feeling is mutual from Hall.

Why Hall Should Sign A One Year Deal

12 months ago, if you told me a one-year deal would make sense for Taylor Hall, I’d have laughed. But then the pandemic happened, and now it actually does make some sense. First of all, Hall’s probably not getting the huge deal he was hoping for. And even if Hall had a huge contract year, most teams can’t afford to give him the massive long-term deals he probably wants.

So why not let the market reset? A one-year deal with a Stanley Cup contender could help Hall build up his value and allow him to cash in on the open market next summer. Also, Hall’s never experienced the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Signing with a contender could help him in his chase for a Stanley Cup.

Who Would Make Sense?

One team immediately jumps out at me as a contender for Taylor Hall – the Colorado Avalanche. Stanley Cup contender? Check. Great young team? Check. Enough cap space to give Hall a sizable one-year deal that would justify punting on a long-term deal for a year? Check.

Hall would slot in somewhere in Colorado’s top-six forward group. My best guess is he’d play with Nathan MacKinnon on the top line, though he’d be an interesting fit with Nazem Kadri‘s line as well. The Avalanche already have an unfair amount of skill and Hall would make them even better.

Also, Hall wouldn’t have to be “the guy” in Colorado. That’s Nathan MacKinnon’s job. Hall wouldn’t have so much pressure on him like he has with the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, and Arizona Coyotes. They all wanted him to be “the guy”. The star. Hall’s an excellent player, but maybe he’s not meant to be “the guy”. Or maybe he’s just not ready yet.

Think about what LeBron James was doing when he signed with the Miami Heat. He had to get out of Cleveland and sort of reinvent his career. LeBron’s time in Miami helped him grow as a leader and as a player. He got two NBA titles out of it too. When the time was right, LeBron went back to Cleveland and helped them win an NBA championship.

Hall’s situation is a bit different, but in some ways, his free agency is similar to LeBron’s. Could the Avalanche be to Taylor Hall what the Miami Heat were to LeBron James? There are other teams who could be tempting as well, but the Avalanche wouldn’t need to move out any salary to sign him.