Could the Sabres acquire and reunite with a previously failed experiment?

We’re in the ‘giving thanks’ phase of the year, and if there’s something I’m always grateful for, it’s that the Thanksgiving Season often coincides with the early stages of the NHL Trade Season. And it’s something the Sabres should be interested in investing their time in if they want a legitimate playoff chance. 

Yesterday, I mingled with the idea of a blockbuster involving Jordan Kyrou, something no Sabres fan would likely complain about. With another Blues loss in the books, someone like Kyrou could be expendable on the trade market before the calendar year fades, but the ‘all eggs in one basket’ approach has rarely helped anyone, so let’s talk about other potentially expendable candidates. 

One player whose name I’ve seen floating around is a familiar one and a failed experiment in Buffalo once upon a time. That man is Taylor Hall, if you remember the debacle that was when he spent some time in town. 

Hall impressed the Sabres and their fans so much that, after 37 games, two goals, and 19 points, he was already playing in another uniform. But that was nearly five years ago, and the Sabres are a little more talented now, even if their playoff drought still lingers.

Would Taylor Hall actually be a good fit with the Sabres this time around?

You might look at Hall’s current statistics, laugh, and tell me why he’d be a miserable fit with the Blue and Gold should he land in Buffalo again via trade. Currently, he’s got two goals and six points in 17 games, but right now, the Chicago Blackhawks are still a laughably bad hockey team, so let’s not go too hard on him. 

Hall also missed most of last season with a torn ACL, so we’ll need to go back to his 2022-23 campaign with the Boston Bruins for perhaps the most accurate metric. That season, Hall had 36 points and 16 goals in 61 contests, with a respectable 10.7 shooting percentage. 

Not the greatest numbers out there and I would say he’d be a fringe top-six forward at this point in his career. But, would he be better than nothing, especially since he’d be a rental given his contract season. 

That said, he wouldn’t be a bad fit, but there’s another potential trade piece on the Hawks I’d probably take in favor of Hall, and it’s one that I’ll reveal at a later date. Let’s just say that if you’ve been following the Hawks closely, you might know which player I’m talking about.