Taylor Hall Signs With The Sabres
TSN’s Darren Dreger and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman report Taylor Hall has signed a one-year, $8-million contract with the Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres sign Taylor Hall (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Well, I didn’t see this coming, and I don’t think many other folks had the Sabres on their list of destinations for Hall via free agency. It’s certainly a bold one by rookie Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams.
The question, of course, is why? Hall was the best forward available in this year’s free-agent class and was expected to sign with a playoff club (preferably a Cup contender), something the Sabres haven’t been for some time.
Steve Dangle has perhaps the best theory: “Hall’s coming off a down year to go light it up with Jack Eichel while nobody has any money so he can cash in afterward.”
Skating alongside Eichel, one of the league’s elite centers, should boost Hall’s numbers back toward the 90-point range of his Hart Trophy performance in 2017-18. If the Sabres don’t improve, he can test the market next year when there could be more teams (including playoff clubs) with the cap space willing to pay him a lucrative long-term deal.
If Hall and Eichel mesh well together and the Sabres reach the postseason, perhaps an agreement can be worked out that pays him big bucks to stay in Buffalo for several years.
Crazy move imo, Getting a long term deal after this year will be difficult. He said he would take a short term deal to play with a contender. I am not sure this fits.
$8m reasons why he signed there.
I am betting…with the fixed cap and most owners watching their wallets because of the massive amounts already lost……noone was thinking of giving him 8m on a long term
they were probably trying to do 6 or 7 on a 6 -8 yr deal
he was like fun it…highest dollar bidder per season wins
and you know the Pegulas…. SURE WHY NOT
$$$$
Hall didn’t commit long term bc he knows they aren’t a true contender and he is hoping a contender can free up roster space and cap after expansion draft…..
Well this certainly knocks the Donato to SJ for a 3rd out of the headlines…. he says spasmodically laughing
W T F
No other team had a better offer?????
1 year???? It better be $700 K sal and $7.3 M in SB, and an NM clause
Who but Kevyn Adams had this on their radar????
Waaaaay to much of a gamble…. one major injury (or worse, career ending injury!!!)
I hope for Hall’s sake he stays healthy all year
Ntc? Nmc?
Full NMC
A one year $8 contract for Hall. Well I don’t think anybody saw this coming but from Hall’s point of view, its a great deal.
Hall now has a job, for a year, makes $8 million and can walk away at year’s end and do the UFA once again
Please fire Sweeney he never fails check the history he never fails to land the big fish what’s the excuse this time!
Looks like Buffalo is serious about going for the #1 2021 draft pick
You do realize there are 30 other teams in the league as well. And to be honest, Hall is overrated. Had like one great season
Buffalo = SUCKERS
Hall gets 8 million reasons to tread water until the landscape shakes out next year.
It never fails to amaze me how some teams just can’t seem to get out oft their own way, no matter who is in charge.
This guy’s not even a point a game player over his career.
There’s one born every minute.
Just Alex P has now boxed himself into a corner,
Who’s left that can take on his contract?
Columbus? Wings? Ottawa?
I guess Vegas, if they can move MAF.
But the pickings just got slimmer.
Should have stayed in St. Louis, you dummy.
Your not getting anything near what you agent is telling you, now. As the market shrinks, so do the dollars.
Boy, did you overplay this hand.
As to Hall – I love this move by the Sabres. Agree with the opinions throughout the board that this is a huge risk by Hall as an injury or down-season will tank his value.
This is high-risk, medium-reward for Hall. He gets some time with Eichel, finally a true elite center. If Hall has a 90-point season again, he will get the long-term payday he’s been hoping for (maybe….cap will still be flat).
This is low-risk, high-reward for the Sabres. They’re only locked in for one year and this move shows Eichel that they are willing to pony up the dollars to make this better. Should silence the Eichel rumours for a season.
Now they just need a goalie.
@ Nevinsrip: Are you in Canada because it looks like you will not be eating turkey but will instead be eating crow.
If I had to pick a “dummy” between you, Pietrangelo and Pietrangelo’s agency, who do you think would be the “dummy” (using your terminology).
And to use more of your terminology . . . “Boy, did you … um … show your arse.”
Pietrangelo at 7 x $8.8m probably doesn’t qualify as “You’re not getting anything near what your agent is telling you.”
Well all I could say is montreal fell asleep at the wheel again great job bergevin 1 year deal worth 8 mill and no one offered him the same like a team that’s starving for offense pays a guy with 4 points 5.5 mill but a player that is a star they couldn’t mustered up 8.1 million for 1 year plus trade deadline you could of traded him for assets if you dont make the playoffs… Once again the habs are slow to the party. It’s time to get rid of berggy I’m so peed off.. If they dont get Hoffman for the same deal 1 year 8 million I’m going to loose my mind.
I am a Habs fan too and I am glad they didnt sign Hall he is liability a one trick pony too much money BTW Bergevin is doing a great job
Def didn’t see it coming. But I think maybe it could be a deal that is slept on. The Sabers could be a much improved team next year. Hall & Staal both joining their Top 6 adds a lot of experience and scoring.
Skinner is a bounce back candidate if their ever was one and Olofsson took major strides. Realistically everyone in the Sabres top 6 next year can score 20+ with a couple able to reach 30+.
Well surprising for sure. With the addition of Staal & Hall the Sabres have an impressive top 6. Skinner is a def bounce back candidate and Olofsson had major strides. The whole top 6 can score 20+ next year.
Now, question marks on the bottom 6, defense, and goaltending make it high risk. But the Sabres have a scary top 6 to play against.
Striker???
Ha, no. I have not been floating around the board in a few years. So I am not shocked you forgot me George 🙁
Nah, just having some fun JJB – what prompted my query was your “bounce back” referral to Skinner. Back in the days it seemed every player who was showing signs of fading in ability automatically became a sure-fire bounce back for Striker. We’re still waiting for Lucic’s.
As for Skinner, there’s no reason to expect he can’t return to form, just one season away from 40g, and he’s been pretty durable over the past 5 seasons, missing only a handful of games.
Welcome back, by the way.
Sabres get a really good player – with only making a 1 year commitment. And they need to make playoffs. Didnt see this one coming
The big story this off season was Eichel wasn’t happy and he could ask for a trade if they don’t start winning. Buffalo might not be a contender next year, but they have drafted a number of studs last few drafts. They could be in playoffs next year. They still have cap space. The risk for Buffalo, isn’t that he gets hurt, but he plays well and bolts. Keeping him could be key to keeping Eichel.
When Kal El posted that late yesterday in the rumours thread, I responded by saying “Maybe, Kal El, this is a graphic illustration of what I’ve been yapping about for some time now when it comes to “top” UFAs – i.e., they are NOT going to find that it’s anywhere near “business as usual” and that the pickings will be slim. Maybe Tofolli will have to see it the same way.”
Not to mention Hoffman and Dadonov.
I don’t know George, i don’t think was worth $8m for any length of contract. I think he did quite well.
The money is in line with what was being bandied about a few short months ago – but the term sure isn’t, nor is the frequently-mentioned contention that his goal would be to latch onto a cup contender.
This is his agent saying, “Taylor, forget about anything close to that kind of money over any appreciable term and forget about a legitimate contender ponying that up while at the same time moving out $8 mil in cap to make room …”
Buffalo now has the option of seeing how Hall and Eichel mesh and, depending how things go and with Hall’s agreement, send him to a true contender at the deadline for picks and/or prospects.
It’s really low-risk for the Sabres; Hall is the one taking the risk of injury.
Personally I can’t wait to see Hall and Eichel together.
Staal and Skinner should be pretty darn good too.
Buffalo has ZERO options. He has a NMC. He can float along Jack for a year and pile up easy points.
Buffalo will be outside looking in by January and Hall can engineer where he wants to be traded too. Once again leaving Buffalo with the short end of the stick.
Skinner and Hall must be buddies. Skinner probably told him “Come to Buffalo, they over pay, no ones knows what to do and there’s no pressure.”