Former 1st Overall Pick Poised to Become the Most Sought-After Trade Target of the Season
Taylor Hall was been injured for the majority of last year, but he is healthy now, and that may lead him to being the biggest trade asset ahead of the deadline.
The 2024/25 NHL season is still fresh, so most teams won't be thinking of making a blockbuster trade yet, but as the year rolls on and teams start to look at their chances of making a deep Stanley Cup Playoffs run, trades will slowly begin trickling in. While some players could currently be considered on the fence as potential trade candidates, one that is slowly heating up as a hot target is veteran Taylor Hall, who was injured for the majority of last season, playing just 10 games alongside Connor Bedard for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Now, he's seemingly back to 100%, as he has played in all six games for the team thus far, and while he has recorded just two points in that time, it's clear that he's still getting his legs underneath him. While many believe that Hall's days of being a productive top liner in the NHL are done, as the Bruins traded him as a simple cap dump, but with a 60 point season back in 2022 and a Hart Trophy in 2018, there may be enough still left in the tank for rival teams to make a play for the 32-year old.
It's unclear exactly how many teams will be looking to land Hall at the deadline, but if he stays healthy throughout the year and is on a solid pace, there's no denying that he could be an asset to a contending team on the second or third line. There's plenty of ifs surrounding that statement however, as he has played more than 65 games just twice since 2019, but if healthy, expect him to draw plenty of interest on the open market.
