Oh, how quickly things can unravel.
There was a lot for Devils fans to look forward to after a miserable 2018-19 campaign. Sure, there was still much for Ray Shero to tinker with.
But after selecting playmaking pivot Jack Hughes with the first pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, trading for P.K. Subban and Nikita Gusev while also adding the likes of Wayne Simmonds via free agency — there was plenty of optimism brewing in Newark, with many setting their sights on a potential wild-card spot in the East.
Well, those playoffs hopes have already been taken down a peg just three weeks into the new campaign. Even with a major injection of talent and a healthy Taylor Hall back in the fold, New Jersey has stumbled out the gate — and that might be putting it lightly.
Toiling near the bottom of the standings with a 2-4-2 record, the Devils have left much to be desired in the early going, showcasing a brutal minus-12 goal differential (30th in NHL) while only cashing in on 6.9% of their power-play opportunities.
This slow start has served as a gut punch, not only to fans expecting a major turnaround, but to the Devils’ front office — as plenty of personnel decisions hang in the balance this winter when it comes to putting out a winning product.
Even if the likes of Hughes and Nico Hischier should be mainstays in Jersey for the foreseeable future, Hall’s tenure going forward is much more murky. Entering the final year of a seven-year, $42 million contract he inked back in 2012 as a member of the Oilers, Hall is setting himself up for a major payday next summer, and could be looking to take his talents elsewhere if the Devils continue to bottom out.
While New Jersey would love to retain the left winger going forward, the writing does seem to be on the wall that if the team continues to struggle, the best course for the franchise would be to deal Hall and snag a strong return for him as it continues to put together its rebuild.
We might still be in the first month of the 2019-20 season, but the trade winds are already starting to pick up over at the Prudential Center in Jersey — with Hall already shaping up to be this year’s Mark Stone out on the open market.
If Hall does become available, you’d be hard-pressed to find a team that wouldn’t be interested in adding a dynamic winger that captured the Hart Trophy in his last full season back in 2017-18.
But after missing out on Stone last February, do the Bruins have the assets/resources to pry a player like Hall out of New Jersey?
Let's get this question out of the way — Could the Bruins use a player like Taylor Hall?
Yes, yes they very much could.
While injuries to David Krejci haven't helped, Boston's offense has been rather predictable — if not stagnant — to open the year, with the B's ranking 22nd in the league in terms of scoring so far with just 2.75 goals scored per game. Of the 22 goals that the B's have tallied, 15 of them have come from just three players — David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron.
Adding a player like Hall, who has surpassed the 20-goal mark six times in his career — including 39 tallies in 2017-18 — could put this Bruins team over the top, especially when matching up against other Atlantic Division contenders such as the Lightning and Maple Leafs.
So yes, the Bruins would love to have Hall's services, especially when it comes to adding a potent winger to pair with Krejci.
But does Boston have the assets necessary to swing a deal? I'd say so, even if it should be quite a haul. In prospects like Urho Vaakanainen, Jack Studnicka, Jakub Lauko and many more, the B's have quite a few blue-chip youngsters that could help create a tantalizing trade package for Shero and the Devils. Even up on the NHL roster, Boston has some strong assets — especially in Jake DeBrusk, who as a natural LW, could find himself in a bit of a logjam if Hall was to join the lineup.
While Boston might have enough talent in the prospect pipeline to avoid having to part ways with bodies on the NHL roster, one would have to think that the Devils are going to want some type of immediate return on any deal involving Hall — and a 23-year-old winger that scored 27 goals last year in DeBrusk does make quite a bit of sense.
The cost is going to be steep, but I think Boston has more than enough assets across the organization to get Shero to pull the trigger. But there are some other roadblocks.
At the forefront is cap space, as Hall is currently tagged with a $6 million hit in the final year of his deal. And as CapFriendly notes, the Bruins have just about $0 in available space to absorb a contract like that.
If Boston was serious about adding Hall, it would have to get very creative. Two logical trade candidates, health permitting, would be defensemen John Moore and Kevan Miller, who are counting for $2.75 million and $2.5 million, respectively, against the cap this year. Sending David Backes down to Providence could also result in about $1 million in savings, while more drastic moves could also be on the table - such as moving soon-to-be UFA Torey Krug and his $5.25 million cap hit.
So yes, there might be avenues for Boston to clear up cap space, but it won't be easy — and given that some of these moves would involve cutting tangible talent out of the NHL roster, it does make any potential trade involving Hall and the Bruins very costly.
For now, Boston's cap situation and the hoops that the Bruins would have to jump through to accommodate Hall does make a trade seem rather unlikely. But if Boston's offense continues to lag as the year progresses, more drastic moves will have to be considered by Don Sweeney and the front office.
CHECKING IN ON THE FARM:
— While Anders Bjork wasn't called up to Boston ahead of Saturday's matchup against the Maple Leafs, it seems like only a matter of time before the Notre Dame product is back up with the big club. Given Bjork's strong showing in the preseason and his advanced offensive game, his assignment to Providence back in September was more of a way for the 23-year-old forward to generate some momentum against AHL competition, rather than an indictment on his viability as an NHLer. With another two-point showing on Saturday night during Providence's 7-4 victory over Belleville, Bjork is now up to three goals and eight total points over seven games with the Baby B's. He's got a spot waiting for him with Coyle + Heinen very, very soon.
https://twitter.com/bruins_stats/status/1183553674007764997
— He may not be a "prospect", but center Brendan Gaunce has been a strong addition to Providence this season, with Bruce Cassidy even acknowledging the 25-year-old forward as a potential call-up candidate earlier this week. While Gaunce started strong down in the AHL (three goals, four points over six games), it looks as though he's going to be on the shelf for quite some time, as he was crushed by Laval's Michael McCarron out by center ice on Friday night. Gaunce, bleeding from his nose, had to be taken out of the game on a stretcher.
Given the violent nature of the hit, it should come as no surprise that Gaunce is labeled as "week to week" moving forward. What a brutal development.
https://twitter.com/BruinsNetwork/status/1185409319845748736
— Providence also received more bad news on the injury front, as Dan Vladar needed to leave Wednesday's game against Laval with a leg injury that didn't look too good. With Vladar also week to week going forward, the Bruins opted to call up Kyle Keyser, who opened the year with the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators. Keyser made his debut on Saturday, stopping 26 of the 30 shots that came his way against the Senators.
https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1184631597435379712
— Other Providence notes: While Trent Frederic has broken out a bit with four assists over his last two games, the same can't be said for Zach Senyshyn, who has yet to record a point through six games. He missed Saturday's game with an upper-body injury. ... While he's primarily served as a bottom-six option, it looks as though Jakub Lauko is settling into the AHL, with the 19-year-old winger scoring two goals in his last five games while making a habit out of scrapping down low.
https://twitter.com/LetsGoAmerks/status/1183174418299785216
— After a bit of a muted opening weekend with Michigan, B's 2019 first-round pick John Beecher impressed in the Wolverines' sweep of Lake Superior State on Friday and Saturday, with the third-line pivot finishing the two-game set with three assists — two of which set up another Bruins prospect in Jack Becker.
?CLIP: @jack_becker7 taps it in from @JohnWbeecher to give Michigan a 3-0 lead near the end of the 1⃣st! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/aoMBjFug1G
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) October 20, 2019