Taylor Hall would like an extension of his contract with the Boston Bruins, although the star winger does not want to be the “focal point” of his new team.
The Bruins traded for the 29-year-old left winger on Sunday, sending Anders Bjork to the Buffalo Sabers for Hall and center Curtis Lazar in the second round of 2021. Hall becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season.
“I’d love to be a wizard for a few years,” Hall said. “Obviously it’s been a bad year for me personally, and I have to play well. I need to contribute. I mostly want to be part of a team that wins games. I think we can do it here.”
Hall was an NHL MVP in the 2017-18 season, but has struggled to reach those heights again. After failing to secure the long-term contract he was looking for as a free agent last season (the Bruins were one of his suitors), Hall signed a $ 8 million one-year deal with the Sabers. The team struggled a lot and so did Hall: even though he has 17 assists, he only has two goals in 37 games this season.
“I’m not the most confident hockey player. Throughout this year, there have been a lot of struggles and obviously the goals have been one of them. I have to find that part of my game again,” he said. to say.
The Sabers informed Hall that it would be changed weeks before Monday’s deadline. Your contract contains a full non-movement clause. While Hall would not indicate if he had turned down other commercial destinations, he admitted that trade protection helped focus the Sabers’ efforts on a deal with Boston, a place he has always wanted to play.
“Without a doubt, the non-movement really helped me become Bruin. Because I knew I would change in the last few weeks, it was a team I wanted to join,” he said.
One of the reasons he wanted to end up in Boston: that he wouldn’t be “Taylor Hall’s team.” The veteran winger said he wanted to play on a team that had other stars to attract the spotlight, which will allow him to focus on helping him win.
“I’ve been the nerve center of many teams in my career,” he said. “I never became the nerve center of the situations I was in. The first opportunity I had at the free agency, I went to Buffalo, a team that had a guy like Jack Eichel, a player who I think he is better than me “. I just wanted to be one of the guys and I wanted to be part of a successful team.
“Ultimately, it didn’t work out in Buffalo. But going to Boston, there are so many fantastic players on this team. Hall of Fame. Seeing these guys, I’m thrilled to be part of this group and be just one of the guys. I don’t want to go in and start the league. I want to win games. “