A lot has changed for Taylor Hall in the past five weeks.
Back in April, the veteran winger was mired in the no-man’s land that is Buffalo, not only in line to miss the postseason for the ninth time in his 11-year NHL career — but also setting himself up for lackluster payday.
Hall took a pretty hefty gamble when he opted to bet on himself by inking a one-year, $8 million contract with Buffalo back in October, hoping that a full year next to a playmaking pivot in Jack Eichel would allow him to stuff the stat sheet and open the door for more lucrative offers in the summer of 2021.
Of course, after tallying just two goals through 37 games in Buffalo, a long-term deal seemed to be out of the question for Hall in 2021 and beyond.
Fast forward to today — and it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that most Zoom calls anchored by Hall have taken on a considerably more cheery tone.
With Boston, Hall has found a landing spot that not only allows him to thrive without being “the guy” to lead a franchise — but also puts him in position to embark on the most promising Cup run of his established career.
But his tenure in a black-and-gold sweater has also likely drawn the attention of clubs with deep pockets this offseason — with plenty of teams likely willing to throw heaps of cash at the 29-year-old forward in hopes that his blazing start with the B’s is not just a flash in the pan.
After etching his name into many highlight reels thanks to his apparent symbiotic connection with his new linemates in David Krejci and Craig Smith, one might think that Hall’s chipper disposition over the last few weeks might come from the realization that the warpath he’s been on with the B’s (eight goals, 14 points in 16 games) should put him line for another major deal this offseason.
But these days, Hall — a pending UFA this summer — isn’t giving much thought to his next big deal. Rather, he’s staying in the present, and for good reason. Because, in the present, Hall and his new club are both cognizant of the fact that they can create something special in the next few months.
"I think every team in the playoffs has a chance and we're no different,” Hall said Friday. “Obviously I feel like it's a pretty legitimate shot and you don't have these opportunities every year. You can't take it for granted that you are going to be in the playoffs every year. Obviously I'm a pretty good example of that. So I'm excited. It's a great group of guys that we have and a lot of skill, a lot of leadership, a lot of experience and I'm really looking forward to it."
Of course, given how impactful Hall has been during his short time in Boston so far — it sure seems like a given that Boston will explore just about every avenue in order to keep the winger here beyond the 2021 season.
Not only has his presence been felt on that second line with Krejci and Smith (hell, Krejci might just hang up his skates if Boston lets Hall walk), but Boston also has the fiscal means to keep Hall in a B’s sweater — with Boston set to have around $29 million in cap room going into the new year, per CapFriendly.
Of course, some of that cap space will need to be doled out to address other free-agent needs — especially if Boston wants to keep Krejci and Tuukka Rask in the fold — while some money must be set aside in anticipation of major deals for guys like Charlie McAvoy down the road.
Still, based on Cam Neely’s comments on Wednesday, it sure seems like Boston values what Hall has given the club so far this year.
“I think mainly, it really solidified some more depth in the offensive position of need where we're getting a little more production five-on-five,” Neely said of Hall’s impact. “Now teams are not just looking at the Bergeron line, but now they've got to look at Krejci's line and even, whether it's Coyle or Kuraly, Ritchie — those guys have chipped in recently.
“And then our fourth line, adding Lazar, we've got a number of players that can slide in and out there that are going to give us energy. And like I said with David, as far as Taylor goes, we're going to continue to see how things go with the playoffs here. I think we'd like to get something done, but that remains to be seen, but that's our hope.”
Hall has been no stranger when it comes to both praising the Bruins and expressing an interest in staying in Boston in 2022 and beyond, but the veteran did echo some of Neely’s sentiments on Friday when it comes to tabling contract talks until after the postseason wraps.
"I think the biggest thing for anyone on our team is just trying to help our team win games and that's going to help out, no matter if you got years on your contract or you're an RFA or a UFA,” Hall said. “The farther we go as a team, I think that's gonna help out everyone individually and I haven't really given much thought to it.
“I knew that everything like that — the contract stuff — would be put aside until after the season and it's no different now. I think we're all here to win a Stanley Cup. And I think if we made that happen or we have a great run and some good things happen, I think everyone will be taken care of and we'll figure that out later.”
At this point, the money will surely come for Hall, hopefully in Boston. But these days, a humbled and appreciative Hall is focusing a lot more on hoisting a fabled piece of hardware — rather than crossing the t's and dotting the i's on a new contract.
“I didn't come here to lose in the first round and then hopefully get a nice contract," Hall said. "I want to have a deep playoff run. And when it's time to take care of that other stuff, that's what I'd look to do, but it really hasn't been on my mind. And it really shouldn't be."