Red Wings: Detroit was never a player in the Taylor Hall Sweepstakes

Taylor Hall would have been a very risky acquisition for the Detroit Red Wings.

It was something exciting to think about for a minute, but forward Taylor Hall would have been way too pricey for the Detroit Red Wings to acquire.

Recently, the New Jersey Devils moved the star forward out to the desert in Arizona for a handful of prospects along with a first-round pick. Arizona is having an outstanding season as they sit tied atop the Pacific Division in the Western Conference.

Arizona is hoping to fend off the Oilers, Golden Knights, and Flames, who are all within two points of one another on the season. Do you want parity? Welcome to the new NHL.

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The Coyotes are led by Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Christian Dvorak, and veteran Phil Kessel. Taylor Hall immediately joins the Yotes becoming the teams leading scorer having 25 points in 30 games on the season.

Hall is just two years, or shall I say, 18 months removed from being the leagues’ most valuable player.  He’s in the final year of his deal and will be looking to cash in this summer as a free agent. The Coyotes have mentioned they are not going to negotiate with Hall during the season.

Still, as a franchise, you don’t give up your third-ranked prospect in Kevin Bahl, a defender playing with Ottawa (juniors) in the Ontario Hockey League and not try and eventually extend Hall.

New Jersey also received forwards Nate Schnarr and Nick Merkley along with a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and a conditional third-round pick in 2021 that becomes a first-round pick if Arizona wins the Cup in ’20.

The return for a player set to become a free agent is exceptionally steep. It’s way too much for the rebuilding Detroit Red Wings to give up. It would be like Detroit giving up Dennis Cholowski, Michael Rasmussen and Joe Veleno in addition to a first and third round pick for a guy who may decide to sign elsewhere at seasons’ end.  No thanks.

It’s a bit of a shame though, Detroit could use a player like Taylor Hall. Detroit is struggling to generate offense; Hall would automatically be the best player on the Red Wings. He’d fit nicely with Dylan Larkin on Detroit’s top line with either Tyler Bertuzzi or Anthony Mantha.

A player like Hall, a former first overall pick, a league MVP winner would have played well within the fanbase, but Steve Yzerman would have had a contract extension agreed upon with Hall at the time of the deal. Also, Detroit is not in a position to give up a plethora of prospects for one proven player.

Hall played his junior hockey just across the river in Windsor, Ontario. With the Spitfires, Hall was able to win back to back Memorial Cup Championships under the direction of the newly appointed head coach of the San Jose Sharks, Bob Boughner.

Detroit would have been a bit of a homecoming for Hall, but it’s nothing more than a fantasy at this point, but the Red Wings will be desperate to find some offensive-minded players this summer either via trade or free agency.

Perhaps if contract talks break down between Arizona and Hall, Detroit may be a player this summer for his services. The 28-year old is a building block the franchise desperately seeks.