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Is Taylor Hall No Longer Immune To Trade Talks?

By Catherine Silverman

Dec 1, 2014; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall (4) chases a loose puck during the second period against the Arizona Coyotes at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 1, 2014; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall (4) chases a loose puck during the second period against the Arizona Coyotes at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Taylor Hall’s future with the Edmonton Oilers no longer looks so certain

The Edmonton Oilers are a weird franchise when it comes to guys like Taylor Hall.

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Drafted first overall in 2010, Hall entered the league as one of his draft class’ two golden boys. The other, Tyler Seguin, had been picked up by a powerhouse team — the Boston Bruins had received a first-round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs when they dealt away winger Phil Kessel, and reaped the benefits of a miserable 2009-2010 season for the Leafs.

While Seguin was joining a winning team, though, Hall was brought onto a struggling Oilers franchise with the hopes that he would turn things around in Edmonton. Five seasons later, they’re still hoping he can do it… but how long do they plan to give him?

One of three consecutive first-overall draft picks, Taylor Hall is inked to a 7-year, $42 million contract at only 23 years old. He’s never played a full season for the franchise, and never got the luxury of training wheels via time in the AHL or a bridge contract to test out his talent — but with five different coaches all trying to mold him into something great, it’s possible that the Taylor Hall we see on the ice today is the best we’ll ever get.

Earlier in the season, the Oilers administration made it abundantly clear that they had no plans of moving around any of the team’s ‘core’; two months later, they’ve fired two coaches, only won seven games, and have taken up residency at the bottom of the league.

Queue the Taylor Hall trade talks.

Is the team smart to trade Hall? We don’t know; he hasn’t been a bad player, but he certainly isn’t saving that franchise. It might be in Edmonton’s best interest to hold on to him and their other talented forwards until the trade deadline for some pricier pieces, but the bottom line is pretty clear… Taylor Hall can no longer guarantee that Edmonton will be his home long-term.

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