What is it going to take for Taylor Hall to sign a long-term contract extension with the New Jersey Devils? General manager Ray Shero probably doesn’t know for sure, but the moves he made last week certainly don’t hurt.
The Devils selected Jack Hughes first overall in the NHL Entry Draft. The addition of Hughes gives them another young forward option to add to their core which already includes Nico Hischer and Jesper Bratt. On Saturday, Shero also swung a huge trade with Nashville involving defenseman P.K. Subban.
“I’m excited at what’s gone on,” Hall said, per NHL.com. “You want to play on the best team possible. I’ve played nine seasons and only won one playoff game (in 2018 with New Jersey). You want to be on a team that’s not just a playoff team but a Stanley Cup contender every year.
“As I said before, I only have so many years left in this League and so many chances to win a Stanley Cup, it hasn’t even come close yet. So I want to make up for lost time but kind of want to be smart with everything that is going on.”
[MORE: Shero on Subban trade, Hall’s future with Devils]
Hall is an incredibly important part of this roster. When they shocked the NHL by making the playoffs two seasons ago, it was mainly because Hall turned in an M.V.P. season. The 27-year-old had 39 goals and 93 points in 76 games during the 2017-18 campaign.Last season, he was limited to just 33 games so it’s no coincidence the Devils failed to make the playoffs.
If the Devils are going to make it back to the playoffs next season and for many seasons after that, they need to make sure Hall stays happy, healthy and signed. Adding Subban shouldn’t hurt those odds.
“You could tell the excitement that [P.K.] had. He brings so much enthusiasm to his daily life,” Hall said. “He’s a great guy. I played with him at the [IIHF World Championship] one year (2013 with Canada) and at the [NHL] All-Star Game a couple of times. I’m really excited to play with him.”
There’s still time for the Devils to improve their roster even more, as they have over $25 million in cap space. Will Shero use the money at his disposal to add a free agent or two, or will he swing another trade? Whatever moves he makes won’t only improve his team, it could also increase his odds of bringing back Hall.
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Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri.