The Buffalo Sabres and Taylor Hall need each other more than ever right now.
While everyone was waiting for Alex Pietrangelo to sign on Sunday night, Taylor Hall stole the show by signing with the Buffalo Sabres. It’s a one-year deal worth $8 million. Not too much shocks this hockey world in free agency, but this signing did. Everyone assumed Hall would sign with a team like the Colorado Avalanche or Columbus Blue Jackets, contenders who needed offense.
Instead, Hall, who said he would take winning over money back in August, is heading to one of the NHL’s most dysfunctional organizations. The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs since the 2010-11 season. How long ago was that? The number one movie in 2011 was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. Since the start of the 2011-12 season, no team has been worse than the Buffalo Sabres.
Why Hall Signed With The Sabres
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So why did Hall sign with them? Let me venture a guess. Hall tried to get a one-year deal from the Avalanche, Blue Jackets, and other contenders. But the money simply wasn’t there. Hall could see the way the market was trending and wanted to make sure he found a team before he lost all of his leverage.
The Sabres make quite a bit of sense for Hall, even though they’re not a winning organization. Hall is coming off a sub-optimal contract year. Before the 2019-20 season, assuming he was healthy, everyone assumed he’d get a huge deal. But then the pandemic happened. And so did Hall’s relatively unimpressive contract year (52 points in 65 games).
This left Hall with very few options. The Sabres were the one who make the most sense. Think about it. What better way to rebuild your value than play alongside Hart Trophy candidate Jack Eichel, who immediately becomes the best center Hall has spent extended time with? Remember, he only spent about 75 5v5 minutes with Connor McDavid. I wouldn’t call that “extended time”.
Also, Hall got along great with Ralph Krueger in Edmonton. Krueger knows how to get the most out of his stars and is a player-friendly coach. So why not go to the team coached by him? If things don’t work out, Hall has all the leverage to go where he wants at the trade deadline thanks to his full no-trade clause and no-movement clause.
Why Hall Needs The Sabres
Taylor Hall will still be relatively young in 2021, as he won’t even be 30 yet. Perhaps next year’s free agent market will be a bit more player-friendly. There’s an outside chance the salary cap ceiling might rise, even just a little bit. Hall’s betting on the Sabres to help him rebuild his value.
There might be no better place for him to do it. Hall won’t be “the guy” on Buffalo. The Sabres are Jack Eichel’s team. His leadership is contagious, which means Hall won’t have to focus on being the leader on the Sabres. That should be a welcome change for him.
Playing on the Sabres power play should get Hall’s traditionally strong PP numbers back to form. In 2017-18, Hall’s Hart Trophy season, he had 37 points on the power play. The following season, in just 33 games, he had 12 PP points. Last season, Hall had 18 in 65 games, but his numbers fell off in Arizona.
Hall will be on the same power play as Jack Eichel and Victor Olofsson. He should be able to rack up assists quite easily. At even strength, you can bet Hall will spend a lot of time with Eichel. Assuming he doesn’t get injured, Hall should have one of the most prolific seasons of his career. He’ll get back to being one of the most dynamic forwards in the NHL.
Why The Sabres Need Hall
Earlier this offseason, there were some rumblings about the Sabres being asked about Eichel in a trade. They either said no or demanded so much in a return, teams decided to back off. Eichel’s not going anywhere yet, but you have to imagine he’s not too happy with the direction of the franchise.
Jack wants to win so badly. You can see the frustration seething in his eyes every time the Sabres lose. While he would love to win in Buffalo, if he’s not confident the team can win, he’ll eventually request a trade.
This is the Sabres opportunity to prove to Eichel they are willing to make the big moves necessary to become Stanley Cup contenders. If it seems like a desperate move, it should seem like one because it is one. The Sabres are not in a good position. They’ve gone nearly a decade without a postseason appearance.
The relationship between the Sabres and Taylor Hall might seem weird. But right now, both parties need each other.