Taylor Hall trade rumors: Where will the New Jersey Devils’ forward land?

The trade market on Taylor Hall is heating up. Here are the latest rumors on where the New Jersey Devils’ forward could be headed next.

Taylor Hall is without a doubt the NHL’s hottest piece of trade bait this season. The New Jersey Devils’ forward is the biggest star on a terrible team, a recipe that often ends in a trade in the sports world.

Since the Devils have fallen off a cliff over the first two months of the 2019-20 NHL season — as of Dec. 16, New Jersey is the second-worst team in the league — the Hall trade rumors have been swirling. More than a handful of hockey teams are connected to Hall in some way, as the Devils are actively shopping the 28-year-old forward.

This season, Hall has 25 points in 30 games for the Devils as New Jersey’s top point scorer. Those numbers are a far cry from Hall’s career high of 93 in the 2017-18 season, but the forward is a clear playmaker that is seemingly suffering from a poor team around him.

Hall would become a free agent on July 1, 2020 should he not re-sign with the Devils — and he’s unlikely to — or sign an extension with a team that trades for him this season. As a player in his prime years, Hall will no doubt be looking for an eight-year contract with a team after coming off a seven-year, $42 million deal he signed in 2012.

There are a lot of options for Hall as a trade piece this season, whether it be as a rental for a Stanley Cup run or as a centerpiece for an up-and-coming team. Here’s what the latest rumors have on Hall’s situation in New Jersey.

Dec. 16, 2019: After being rumored as one of the teams in on Hall, the Panthers are now out of the running according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun due to the high price for the forward.

Dec. 16, 2019: The salary cap is the Oilers biggest hurdle on acquiring Hall, should they be interested. However, the Oilers are seemingly not one of the major players for Hall at this point in time.

Dec. 14, 2019: The Florida Panthers have entered the mix for Hall, per reports, as one of five or six teams inquiring about the Devils’ forward.

Dec. 14, 2019: The Devils will be holding Hall out of a second game in a row, as the forward is unlikely to play during New Jersey’s game against the Coyotes on Saturday.

Dec. 13, 2019: The Coyotes and Blues emerge as favorites to land Hall, as the pair are reportedly the teams with the most interest.

Dec. 13, 2019: Hall was held out of Friday night’s game in Colorado for “precautionary” reasons, sparking talk that the forward would be on the move soon.

Dec. 7, 2019: Colorado emerges as a potential favorite to land Hall as the Devils encourage teams to start to make offers on the forward. The Avalanche, according to Sportsnet, may make a move before the NHL’s holiday break on Dec. 19.

Dec. 5, 2019: The Sharks seem like an unlikely destination for Hall, as the team lacks tradable assets due to their deals to snag Erik Karlsson and Evander Kane in the past few years.

Dec. 5, 2019: The Coyotes enter the ring as a potential suitor for Hall as the team sits comfortably in a playoff position in early December.

Dec. 4, 2019: Anaheim is likely out as a possible landing spot for Hall, given the team is not in win-now mode and is not as attractive of a destination as other contending teams.

Nov. 30, 2019: The Devils are reportedly starting to listen to offers on Hall, as the team looks to trade him before the Feb. 24 trade deadline.

Nov. 28, 2019: Montreal is mentioned as a team that could be interested in trading for Hall due to having over $7 million in cap space, according to Cap Friendly.

Nov. 9, 2019: Reports surface that Hall is “unlikely” to sign a contract extension with the Devils in-season amidst a terrible year for New Jersey.