Boston Bruins now need to go all out for Taylor Hall after Palmieri miss

The Boston Bruins need to make an aggressive push for Buffalo Sabres forward Taylor Hall.

We’re rapidly approaching the NHL Trade Deadline on Monday and a major name is already off the board after the New York Islanders acquired forward Kyle Palmieri from the New Jersey Devils in a blockbuster trade on Wednesday night with veteran Travis Zajac also on his way to Long Island, and it means that the Boston Bruins now need to go all in on Taylor Hall.

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Palmieri was one of the biggest trade chips available at this year’s Deadline and was seen as a perfect solution to the Bruins’ desperate need for a top-six right-wing, but he is now a member of the Islanders who are clearly all in to win this year.

That means that Boston General Manager Don Sweeney will have to cast his net elsewhere and there are plenty of options out there for the B’s, who are also in need of a top-four defenseman that can log big minutes, so maybe a double deal could be on the horizon.

If that’s the case then the Buffalo Sabres could be a perfect trade partner given that they are going to be huge sellers at the Deadline, and defensemen in the ilk of Colin Miller and Rasmus Ristolainen might be available at the right price.

Boston Bruins need to make a serious run at Taylor Hall ahead of Trade Deadline

However, there is no doubt that it is long overdue for the Bruins to give veteran center David Krejci a legitimate elite winger on the second-line, and Taylor Hall would check that box despite his considerable struggles for the Sabres in 2020-21.

Hall has two goals and 17 assists for 19 points in 37 games for the Sabres this season while averaging 18:41 of total ice time, and he’s a -21 on the year which tells you all you need to know about his struggles. The 29-year-old also ranks 254th in points scoring at 5-on-5 with just 1.34 points per 60, which is out of 413 regular NHL forwards this season. Not good.

There are also legit questions over whether the serious knee injury he suffered in 2018-19 has taken away some of Hall’s speed, which was the hallmark of his game, while the fact that he is now seemingly on his way to his fourth team in three seasons probably raises some flags too when it comes to character.

Another potential issue is the fact that Hall is a natural left-wing and the Bruins are in need of a right-wing, but you could play the left-shot on his off-wing or ask Jake DeBrusk or Craig Smith to play on the right-wing which would allow Hall to play on the left.

Those caveats aside, Hall is still a very, very good player and if he can remain healthy then there is no doubt that he still has the talent needed to be an elite offensive weapon in the National Hockey League, and someone who could help to push a contender over the top.

Buffalo Sabres left wing Taylor Hall (4). Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

I mean, Hall showed flashes of what he can do when he’s on his game while with the Arizona Coyotes in 2019-20, putting up 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points in 35 games down the stretch, although he did go cold in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with six points (2 G, 4 A) in nine games.

However, there is enough there to suggest that if placed in the right situation then Hall could go off and provide a real scoring punch, and he would be surrounded with a plethora of better players on the Bruins compared to his time with the Coyotes and certainly the Buffalo Sabres.

With 582 career points (220 G, 362 A) in the NHL in 664 games, Hall can be an offensive juggernaut and he would give the Bruins a legit weapon on the second-line, while he could also slot in on the second power play unit which would certainly help the B’s down the stretch who are locked in a battle with the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers for the final postseason spot in the loaded East Division.

There is also the small matter of cost with Hall carrying an $8 million AAV and the Buffalo Sabres reportedly wanting a First-Round pick in return for the forward. According to Cap Friendly, the Bruins will have just under $7 million in cap space at the Deadline and they will likely get Buffalo to retain some salary so they can make another move too, and they may have to throw another sweetener in with the First-Round pick in order to get the deal done.

With an aging core and their Stanley Cup window closing fast, though, Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney has to do whatever it takes to help his team win now and if that means giving up a First-Round pick and another asset or two in order to take somewhat of a risk on a player in Taylor Hall who can produce big time when healthy and in the right situation, then that’s the price worth paying to ensure that his team has a chance to embark on a deep postseason run.