Since Taylor Hall was healthy scratched for New Jersey’s road games on Friday and Saturday night this past weekend, we’ve been on high alert for a trade to come through.
And since the two teams New Jersey played on the weekend — Colorado and Arizona — were two of the primary teams attached to him in trade rumours, it seemed like a deal would have been made rather quickly.
But, surprisingly, after the Devils beat Arizona on Saturday, Hall joined them on their team flight back to New Jersey. Officially he was still a Devil, but Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston was reporting that New Jersey hoped to get a deal done before the NHL’s holiday trade freeze started on Thursday.
So when news of the trade came down on Monday, it caught no one by surprise. But it did mean that Hall had to get on a plane to fly right back out to the west coast — Arizona’s next game is Tuesday in San Jose.
It’s the biggest deal of the NHL season so far. The Coyotes picked up two draft picks and three prospects for Hall and Blake Speers.
New threads for @hallsy09 pic.twitter.com/vCRKD3dEv4
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 16, 2019
Here’s how some in the hockey world reacted to the trade:
For fans of the two teams, it was a bittersweet day in New Jersey. On the one hand, it was a must to trade Hall before the February trade deadline given he’s a pending UFA who was unlikely to re-sign with a non-playoff team. On the other, it signalled the throwing up of the white flag on a season that started with so much promise after an exciting summer spent upgrading the roster.
In Arizona, meanwhile, the Coyotes made a huge splash as they sit atop the Pacific Division. A lack of offence is their No. 1 weakness, and the acquisition of the 2017 Hart Trophy winner should help with that.
Here’s how some people from both fan bases reacted to the move:
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