Hall signs 1-year, $8M deal with Sabres
Prized free-agent forward Taylor Hall signed a one-year deal worth $8 million with the Buffalo Sabres, the team announced Sunday.
Hall, 28, tallied 16 goals and 52 points in 65 games split between the New Jersey Devils and Arizona Coyotes last season. It was considered a down year by his standards after he racked up 130 points in 109 games over the previous two campaigns.
The 2018 Hart Trophy winner will now play alongside superstar center Jack Eichel, and potentially rebuild his value before hitting the free-agent market again next year.
On conference call, BUF GM Kevyn Adams says Sabres are interested in making this a long-term relationship.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 12, 2020
Hall, who's played in only 14 career postseason games, stated before entering free agency that his priority was "probably all winning," but the Sabres own the league's longest active playoff drought (nine seasons).
However, Buffalo's projected top-six forward group now looks quite dangerous on paper:
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Taylor Hall | Jack Eichel | Victor Olofsson |
| Jeff Skinner | Eric Staal | Sam Reinhart |
There's some familiarity for Hall in western New York, too, as Sabres bench boss Ralph Krueger coached him with the Edmonton Oilers in 2012-13.
"The way that Ralph had built a relationship in his time with Taylor absolutely played a role in this," Sabres GM Kevyn Adams told The Athletic's John Vogl.
By points per game, 2012-13 was Hall's best season during his tenure in Edmonton.