More good news as it relates to Taylor Hall and the Bruins
Good news for the Bruins’ second line came late Tuesday night, as there continues to be progress between the Bruins and pending unrestricted free agent Taylor Hall.
“The momentum is gaining with Boston and Taylor Hall,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared ahead of Wednesday’s expansion draft. “Word is Hall wants to stay and the Bruins want to keep him. Nothing is done until it’s done, but there’s a path.”
This latest update on Hall comes just days after an Andy Strickland report that said Hall and the Bruins were “moving towards” a new deal, and continues what’s been a theme of sorts as it relates to the sides’ intentions all offseason.
Speaking after the B’s elimination from the 2021 postseason, Hall acknowledged the importance of fit over money, and said all the right things about Boston throughout his post-deadline run in The Hub. He essentially said that this is where he wanted to be, and he’s continued that with an offseason spent in Boston.
“I see a fit and hopefully they feel the same,” Hall said back in June. “We’ll let the dust settle on everything this year, I’m sure they have a lot of stuff going on and some other guys that have been here longer than me that they have to worry about. Then we’ll figure that out, but hopefully we can make something work. That’s my goal and hopefully we can make that happen.”
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney, meanwhile, acknowledged the interest in Hall staying with the Bruins as “mutual” in his year-end press conference.
And based on everything we’ve heard since then and to this point, it would almost be a straight-up shock if the Bruins and Hall fail to come to terms on a deal between the Seattle expansion draft and the start of NHL free agency.
There’s simply too much positive noise to ignore, and the fit undoubtedly works for both parties. But until then, it’s about finding the right number, which feels somewhere between $5.5 and $6 million per year for three to four years.
Acquired from the Sabres (along with fourth-line center Curtis Lazar) in exchange for Anders Bjork and a 2021 second-round pick, Hall’s game came back from the dead with the Bruins, as he scored eight goals and 14 points in 16 games with Boston.
Hall also won the first playoff series of his 11-year NHL career with the Black and Gold’s first-round series victory over the Capitals, and finished the postseason with three goals and five points in 11 games.
Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.
