The New Jersey Devils have traded forward Taylor Hall to the Arizona Coyotes for a 2020 conditional first-round draft pick, a conditional 2021 third-rounder, along with forward prospects Nate Schnarr, Nick Merkley and defenceman Kevin Bahl.
The Devils also sent Blake Speers to Arizona.
New Jersey will retain 50 percent of Hall’s salary cap hit as part of the deal.
“Taylor Hall is one of the elite talents in the game today; a Hart Trophy winner, a high-end playmaker and one of the NHL’s most talented forwards,” said Coyotes general manager John Chayka. “We are beyond thrilled to add Taylor to our team as we continue in our mission of bringing a Stanley Cup home to Arizona.”
Things have not gone according to plan for the Devils, who’ve stacked their roster with the likes of defenceman P.K. Subban only to go 9-13-4 to start the season. That’s led to a change in direction, with head coach John Hynes fired earlier this month and Hall traded in order to generate some value out of a player they plan to lose anyway.
Hall’s contract expires this summer after spending four years in New Jersey.
The Devils had been benching Hall as of late, making him a healthy scratch. That all but set the trade as imminent and reports indicated that Arizona would come out the front-runner for his services.
The 28-year-old from Calgary has 25 points in 30 games this season, including six goals.
Hall was a number one draft pick for the Edmonton Oilers in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Despite some impressive hockey in Edmonton, Hall was swapped for Adam Larsson in 2016 and joined the Devils. His best season to date was a 93-point campaign in 2017-2018.
In 592 games for the Oilers and Devils, Hall has 208 goals and 328 assists.
Photo credit: Jeffrey T. Barnes/The Associated Press
