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‘He never played his best games against the tougher teams': Klefbom reacts to the Taylor Hall trade

Edmonton Oilers v Ottawa Senators

OTTAWA, ON - FEBRUARY 14: Oscar Klefbom #84 of the Edmonton Oilers skates against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on February 14, 2015 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)

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When the Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson trade went down this summer, it’s safe to say that the majority of fans and media types believed that the Devils stole Hall from the Oilers. Larsson is a good player, but Taylor Hall is seen as a dynamic difference-maker who can put up points.

Well, if that’s how you see the trade, it sounds like Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom disagrees with you.

In an interview with a Swedish website, Klefbom had a few interesting things to say about the trade and the team’s off-season.

“Taylor has been our best player in recent years,” said Klefbom, per hockeysverige.se (all quotes have been translated). “But it’s also hard to tell what he has contributed. He never played his best games against the tougher teams, when we really needed it. However, he was fantastic when we met the little inferior teams.”

That seems pretty harsh considering Hall led the Oilers in goals (26) and points (65). Edmonton’s second-leading scorer was Jordan Eberle and he had just 45 points.

It’s also important to remember that Larsson and Klefbom are both from Sweden, but it still seems odd that Klefbom would take such a strong public stance on this trade.

Unless (a big) something was lost in translation, it certainly seems like Klefbom scorched Hall on the way out the door:

On a personal note, Klefbom says he feels good and he’ll enter the season at 100 percent after dealing with a foot infection last season.

The 23-year-old also added that he’s frustrated that the team keeps losing, but he’s happy with the role he’s been given.

“It’s clear that you never want to see your team lose, but the difference was that I felt proud of my role,” said Klefbom. “It was very flattering when you read the media and fans write that ‘now we see Klefbom’s greatness.’ There were even many who thought that I was needed more than McDavid, who was injured at the same time. It is clear that it gave my ego a boost.”

That’s also a pretty strange quote.

Related:

--Oilers GM justifies Hall trade

--Oilers coach has no problem with Taylor Hall trade