Taylor Hall admitted it: getting traded by the Edmonton Oilers hurt.
The New Jersey Devils will be delighted if he does indeed channel that negative energy into strong work on the ice.
“I do take this as an indictment on me as a hockey player,” Hall said during his press conference, according to MSG Network’s Deb Kaufman Placey. “I’m a motivated hockey player right now.”
Hall:"It's pretty hard not to feel slighted or be disappointed, but going to do everything in my power to make NJ proud they made this deal"
— Deb Placey (@DebPlacey) June 29, 2016
You might find this shocking, but the Devils are really excited.
At 24, Hall’s deep in his prime ... and now has some anger to motivate him. (It’s OK for Devils fans to be giddy.)
Edmonton Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli admitted that Hall sounded “disappointed” when hearing that he had been traded. Hall thought he’d be a part of the “solution” in Edmonton.
(More on the Oilers’ side of the deal and analysis of Adam Larsson here.)
Hall hopes that a “change of scenery is a positive” for him. That’s a nice way to look at things ... yet his return to the scene in Edmonton should be that much more entertaining thanks to these comments.
Granted, he had nothing but great things to say about the city and fans:
Thank you to the city of Edmonton, the fans, and most of all, my teammates throughout my time with the Oilers. I will always cherish my(1/2)
— Taylor Hall (@hallsy09) June 29, 2016
time there and the memories that came with it. In saying that, my thoughts turn into excitement when I think about the chance in NJ! (2/2)
— Taylor Hall (@hallsy09) June 29, 2016