5 NHL teams that will regret not trading for Taylor Hall
By Mary Clarke
3. Edmonton Oilers
Jokes aside, the Edmonton Oilers would have been a perfect fit for Hall had the team been serious about landing the forward. We all know the history — the phrase “one for one” will never be the same — but Hall reuniting with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton would have been the story of the 2019-20 NHL season.
The Oilers this season are second place in the Pacific Division with just one more loss than the Arizona Coyotes, as Edmonton has a 19-13-4 record on the season with 42 points. While the Oilers have exceeded expectations this year, McDavid and Draisaitl make up 40 percent of the Oilers’ total points this season as the team overall needs more depth scoring.
Trading for Hall would have given the Oilers another offensive pillar to support the team down the stretch. A team’s depth is tested in the postseason, and it’s hard to see how the Oilers will stand up with so much of their offensive firepower coming from just two players on their roster.
As for the price, the Oilers have $1.1 million in cap space this year, according to CapFriendly, and would have no doubt had to jettison a player to make room for Hall this season. The cap was the biggest hurdle in the Oilers attempting to go after Hall this December, and while Edmonton could have likely made it work if they were serious enough, the chips did not fall that way.
It’s clear the stars were not aligned for the Oilers to make a move for Hall in-season this year. Edmonton may ultimately regret not trading for Hall this season, as their playoff hopes could very well crumble with a lack of offensive scoring depth. However, there is always the chance we see this reunion in the offseason instead.