Taylor Hall Trade Interest: Should Buffalo Sabres Be In Line

Taylor Hall could be the Buffalo Sabres answer to the first overall draft pick problem. The consensus before the season started was that the Buffalo Sabres were the clear cut favorites to be in line for the first or second overall draft pick this year. That meant getting a generational player like Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. Only, Ted Nolan has them playing well above their threshold and winning hockey games. If the Buffalo Sabres are going to take themselves out of the draft lottery talk, then they might want to be calling the Edmonton Oilers about Taylor Hall.

Buffalo Sabres Position

Taking a quick look at the standings, and the Buffalo Sabres are stuck in a bind – they are only eight points out of the final playoff spot, but only the New Jersey Devils have played more games than the Sabres – so there isn’t any magic wiggle room for games in had. They are only seven points in front of the Carolina Hurricanes for the last spot in the Eastern Conference, and eight points over the Edmonton Oilers for last overall in the league.

Statistically the Buffalo Sabres should even out, there is no way this team – with the trades coming on the horizon that they will remain competitive as the league itself ramps up for the playoffs and teams get tougher to play against. The team might fall back into that contention zone for the draft lottery talk.

Edmonton Oilers Position

The Edmonton Oilers are looking at another first overall draft pick. They already have three number one picks on their team, Taylor Hall (2010), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), and Nail Yakupov (2012). That’s three number ones in the last five years. The Buffalo Sabres have only gotten two in their franchise history.

We could go on about how much of a joke the Edmonton Oilers have become because they are in a state of perpetual rebuild. Or we could sweet talk Edmonton into parting ways with one of their first rounders – Taylor Hall, who hasn’t been all that bad of a hockey player, but how many numbers ones can you honestly put on a losing hockey team?

Taylor Hall‘s NHL Career

Taylor Hall has played four NHL seasons, and in three of them he has put up at least 20 goals. His career high so far is 27, a number he has hit twice. Last season he had 53 assists. Buffalo Sabres scoring forwards like Tyler Ennis, Cody Hodgson, Matt Moulson etc. etc. could be drooling at the opportunity to play with such a setup man.

Hall is under contract through the 2019-2020 season, and the Buffalo Sabres have the room for his six million dollar a year salary.

More from Sabre Noise

Prying Hall from the Edmonton Oilers isn’t going to be easy. Edmonton has to get the warm and fuzzy feeling that they are winning the trade, and getting more in return than they are giving up. But Hall isn’t the only thing they have to give up.

What Do The Buffalo Sabres Have To Offer For Taylor Hall?

First off, the Buffalo Sabres have plenty to offer for Taylor Hall. For starters, you have two goaltenders that are on expiring contracts. At best you are only going to be able to keep one of them. To start the conversation you float out their Michal Neuvirth. Right now he is the bigger evil in your crease, and Jhonas Enroth has proven himself that he can manage in the league as a number one over Neuvirth.

You get Enroth a quality backup that can play in 20 games a year and win you some, then your talking safety.

The Edmonton Oilers need defense. The Buffalo Sabres have a ton of defensive prospects – your not going to be able to use them all. Mark Pysyk is a quality defenseman, that might end up buried on this team behind the likes of Nikita Zadorov and Rasmus Ristolainen. Chad Ruhwedel is an undrafted free agent – that serves a great purpose, but again, is going to get buried behind guys the team has drafted and are more NHL ready.

I don’t agree with giving up Cody Hodgson, although he is turning out to be the next version of Ville Leino. I do like the idea of getting Viktor Fasth in the deal as well.

So far we are at three players for two, Neuvirth, Pysyk, and Ruhwedel for Taylor Hall and Fasth. Remember how I said that we need to make the Edmonton Oilers winners in this thing? Give them one of your late round first round picks from the Islanders or Blues. Don’t want to give up a first rounder? I am sure that you could part with a second round pick this year as well, you have two of them.

The list of players that are on their way out of Buffalo for one reason or another could be inserted in lieu of one of those defenseman. Buffalo has quite the list of expiring contracts that they will be trying to unload.

I have been reading plenty of stories about teams interested in Taylor Hall – or that they should be. Are the Oilers selling, and if so, should the Buffalo Sabres be picking up the phone?

Next: Keep Zemgus Girgensons Number One In All Star Voting

Home/Sabres News