Taylor Hall traded to Chicago

[amfox1]

Chris Johnston
@reporterchris
29m

After clearing some much-needed cap space, it would not be a surprise to see the #bruins take a run at re-signing pending UFA Tyler Bertuzzi before he hits the open market.

 

[Boston Brawler]

Really liked Hall, but it is what it is. Hope they can sign Bertuzzi at least.

Fuck their playoff run.

 

[Granite Sox]

I really don't know what people expected. Not having to attach a pick to it is a win in my book.

He's a $6M AAV 3rd line player with 36 points last year. I'd have loved to keep him, but at that price he's a luxury.

100%

I liked him well enough, but he produced like a 2nd-3rd line wing. He wasn't going to bring a big return for that salary.

 

[cshea]

They just couldn't pay Hall $6 million a year for the role he was in.

If they are replacing Hall with Bertuzzi they will be right back at square one, if not more in the hole. There's a lot of work to do.

 

[RedOctober3829]

They just couldn't pay Hall $6 million a year for the role he was in.

If they are replacing Hall with Bertuzzi they will be right back at square one, if not more in the hole. There's a lot of work to do.

Probably going to see at least one if not multiple defensemen go as well as Ullmark.

 

[The B’s Knees]

I wonder if Chicago is a possible landing spot for Hall, assuming they aren't on Hall's 10-team list?
They have tons of cap space, and they have 8 picks in the first 3 rounds of this year's draft.

Bedard will be joining a wasteland of a team with nobody of any significance there to mentor him (unless Toews gets healthy and resigns - and yes, I know he's a douchebag).
Hall is a former #1 draft pick who experienced much of the hype and expectations that come along with that status (not to Bedard's level of hype, but a lot of hype regardless).

I'm usually dead wrong making predictions, but I did make this one a couple of weeks back.
Hoping for something in return was wishful thinking I guess.

 

[RIFan]

No one is going to ever file this under "great trade", but it absolutely had to be done. It was really a win for Sweeney to accomplish this as a pure salary dump without attaching cash or anything of value to it. Very nice pickup for Chicago to be able to give Bedard a guy that has been in his shoes and take a little pressure off.

Still more work to do. It wouldn't be too surprising to me if an Ullmark deal was already done but waiting until after the awards ceremony.

 

[wiffleballhero]

Sad to see Hall had to be sacrificed to finally get Foligno out of the line-up.

 

[Ferm Sheller]

Sad to see Hall had to be sacrificed to finally get Foligno out of the line-up.

Foligno's a UFA. (Next week.)

 

[wiffleballhero]

Foligno's a UFA. (Next week.)

I was sort of making a joke, but point taken.

 

[Ferm Sheller]

I was sort of making a joke, but point taken.

Ah, gotcha.

 

[The B’s Knees]

They could likely make do with what they have, and fill the remaining (8-ish) roster spots with call ups and FA filler like Tampa did last year, but I expect they'll rather make a few moves (Ullmark and/or Grz) to create some breathing room, and maybe try to add Bertuzzi.

 

[mikeford]

Seven teams now for a former number 1 pick, with nearly 700 career points. Pretty interesting career.

I guess this is the way now with salary restrictions.

Lends quite a bit of credence to the theory the guy is just kind of an asshole no one likes

 

[moretsyndrome]

No one is going to ever file this under "great trade", but it absolutely had to be done. It was really a win for Sweeney to accomplish this as a pure salary dump without attaching cash or anything of value to it. Very nice pickup for Chicago to be able to give Bedard a guy that has been in his shoes and take a little pressure off.

Still more work to do. It wouldn't be too surprising to me if an Ullmark deal was already done but waiting until after the awards ceremony.

I think they have to roll the dice and hand the gig to Swayman. Unlike Hall, they may get something, at least a pick or two, in return for Ullmark.

 

[TFP]

I think they have to roll the dice and hand the gig to Swayman. Unlike Hall, they may get something, at least a pick or two, in return for Ullmark.

Or they get more for Swayman in return and ride with Ullmark for the next two+ years.

 

[NYCSox]

Lends quite a bit of credence to the theory the guy is just kind of an asshole no one likes

I don't think that's true at all. He's just not a guy who can regularly drive a line but is expected to do so (and is paid accordingly).

 

[moretsyndrome]

Or they get more for Swayman in return and ride with Ullmark for the next two+ years.

That’s on the table, too, depending on the relative value. . I just can’t imagine bringing them both back under any circumstances.

 

[The Mort Report]

Hall was good, but he wasn't great, and someone was going to go. That being said, even though Sweeney still has a couple days until FA, I actually think this means no Bert and we are getting a sort of reset. If they had a number from Bert they were comfortable with and the plan was to sign him once they moved a contract, I would think his deal would have been immediately announced with the trade so he can't get offered a crooked number when FA opens. I hope Sweeney has contingency plans on contingency plans, but if Bert was the target now is the time.

Also, now that I've gotten a chance to sit back after the suck of losing, I think a soft reset is the way to go. Trade Ully, Carlo and Forbort, get Sway signed and use next year as a bridge year to see if any of the kids can be part of the next playoff team.

 

[kenneycb]

Lends quite a bit of credence to the theory the guy is just kind of an asshole no one likes

Who has made that theory?

I think it’s more he’s a highly skilled, high pedigree guy who’s had inconsistent output that’s led to him always being rightly paid to slightly overpaid for production (beyond one year) and relatively easy to move because of that and his upside.

 

[RoDaddy]

I don't get the Taylor Hall love. He's been steadily declining since his big 39 goal season and is approaching a half point per game territory as he ages. And after all, he WAS moved down to the 3rd line this past year. When we got him, our hope was that he would regain some of his peak season magic and maybe even end up a #1 line guy but it never happened. Plus he was too expensive. I'm fine moving on from him

 

[jbupstate]

If they spend, I hope it’s on Orlov and not Bertuzzi. Hall is a superior player and Bertuzzi will like cost more per season with length.

The Bruins will miss Hall’s entries in to the offensive zone. I really enjoyed his game and he wasn’t demoted to the 3rd line… he played the good soldier for the team.

 

[PedroSpecialK]

They got 2.25 years of Hall for Bjork and a 2nd - this is a great way to deal w part of the cap crunch, move a solid player you’re overpaying for where he fits and lose no draft or cap capital

 

[BaseballJones]

Fuck their playoff run.

Sadly, it wasn't much of one.

 

[BaseballJones]

I think they have to roll the dice and hand the gig to Swayman. Unlike Hall, they may get something, at least a pick or two, in return for Ullmark.

One of the reasons they had such a great regular season was that they had two goalies who played great, so there was no drop-off when they alternated. Which is why NOT alternating in the playoffs was such a killer.

 

[j44thor]

Too bad they couldn't have attached more salary with Hall and not gotten anything back. CHI has a lot of $$ to spend to reach the cap floor and the UFA market is slim pickings.

 

[cshea]

One of the reasons they had such a great regular season was that they had two goalies who played great, so there was no drop-off when they alternated. Which is why NOT alternating in the playoffs was such a killer.

Last season Swayman made $925,000. Now he is probably going to cost in the neighborhood of $5 million. They are a great duo but you can only play one at a time. Meaning at all times you are going to have 5% of your total cap sitting on the bench.

I’m an advocate of the rotation but with Swayman needing a new contract it seems like a luxury they can’t afford.

 

[jk333]

He is?

He technically scores at a 64 point pace for his career but, outside of '21-'22, is often injured so he never reaches it.

56 point pace for the Bruins including 61 points in his full season last year. That’s where I was coming from.

But 36 pts and 33 pt seasons around that 61 pts is enough to not call him a 60 pt guy. And he definitely deserves the injury prone label.

 

[Myt1]

Who has made that theory?

I think it’s more he’s a highly skilled, high pedigree guy who’s had inconsistent output that’s led to him always being rightly paid to slightly overpaid for production (beyond one year) and relatively easy to move because of that and his upside.

Insanity.

 

[Sandwich Pick]

Who has made that theory?

I think it’s more he’s a highly skilled, high pedigree guy who’s had inconsistent output that’s led to him always being rightly paid to slightly overpaid for production (beyond one year) and relatively easy to move because of that and his upside.

Outside of his Hart season, he has received 0 MVP votes in his career. That's pretty incredible.

 

[RG33]

Does this mean a new player coming in potentially, a re-signing of Bertuzzi to a 4 year deal, or perhaps luring Bergy and/or Krecji back by actually paying them somewhat of a market rate over the $3.5m that they paid them combined last year (I know, I know, the last gamethread already 100% convincingly determined that Bergy and Krejci have both retired and will never play for the Bruins again).

 

[joe dokes]

I like Hall, but I didnt see his production matching his salary. So under the circumstances, I don't mind this.
He was, at best, consistently good, but only occasionally better than that. And if you're just going to dump a salary, might as well be one big one. Might give them some flexibility in crafting trades for Grz, or whoever they're moving.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

I really don't know what people expected. Not having to attach a pick to it is a win in my book.

He's a $6M AAV 3rd line player with 36 points last year. I'd have loved to keep him, but at that price he's a luxury.

I am not thrilled to see Hall go, but I do think freeing up the $6M was important. Had to be done.

 

[jbupstate]

I am not thrilled to see Hall go, but I do think freeing up the $6M was important. Had to be done.

Sweeney still needs to shed more. Unfortunately assets might need to be attached to move Forbort and/or Reilly.