What Taylor Hall signing with Sabres means for Jack Eichel

NHL fans and experts thought Taylor Hall was signing with Stanley Cup contender. Instead, he takes a one-year flier with the Buffalo Sabres

After the Tampa Bay Lightning hoisted the Stanley Cup, all eyes were on the start of NHL free agency. The biggest name on the market was forward Taylor Hall, previously of the Arizona Coyotes. Rumors had it that Hall would join a contending team, and he was linked to organizations like the Nashville Predators and Boston Bruins. But neither of them won the sweepstakes.

On Sunday evening, various reports indicated that Hall was signing a one-year, $8 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres. Yes, you read that correctly. The Sabres have secured Hall for the upcoming season (whenever that is), and that’s nothing but good news for franchise superstar Jack Eichel.

Hall can be the winger Eichel has been missing

The Sabres have been far from impressive this past decade. In fact, this very organization has not made it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011 when Ryan Miller was their goaltender. Things were supposed to be different after the team selected Jack Eichel in the 2015 NHL Draft. While Eichel has been Buffalo’s best player, he hasn’t had the quality help to bring the team to the next level.

This offseason, Eichel vented about being fed up with the losing seasons he’s endured with Buffalo during a local radio appearance. Leading up to the NHL Draft this past week, general manager Kevyn Adams let it be known that he would do whatever it takes to keep Eichel in Buffalo. He’s accomplished that by signing Hall.

Hall spent his first six seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, before being infamously traded to the New Jersey Devils for defenseman Adam Larsson. Hall shined in his second year in New Jersey (2017-18 season), as he scored a career-high 93 points (39 goals, 54 assists), led the Devils to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player. This past season, the Devils traded him to the Coyotes for draft picks, as he was set to hit the open market. In his split tenure with both squads, Hall scored 16 goals and tallied 36 assists through 65 games.

While Hall’s signing with Buffalo seemed perplexing at first, it actually made sense. Hall is reunited with head coach Ralph Krueger, his former bench boss for the Oilers. Krueger coached Hall in the lockout-shortened season in 2013, where he put up a staggering 50 points in 45 games (16 goals, 34 assists).

Krueger’s coaching style played a role in Hall joining the Sabres, as well as playing alongside Eichel. This past season, Eichel tallied 78 points (36 goals, 42 assists), with a less than ideal supporting cast surrounding him. An Eichel-Hall pairing could be a thing of magic for the Sabres, and if all goes well, Eichel could potentially clinch his elusive first Stanley Cup Playoff berth.

Eichel’s public airing of grievances worked out in the long haul, as it got the Sabres front office to make a big splash in free agency.