Report: The 7 teams who put in trade offers for Hall

In case you missed the news yesterday, the Arizona Coyotes acquired superstar forward Taylor Hall from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a package of draft picks and prospects.

Check it out:

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NHL insiders from across the league reported in an uptick in trade negotiations this past weekend, but evidently it was Coyotes GM John Chayka who made the best offer. 

Now, less than 24 hours after the deal is done, insider Pierre LeBrun of TSN, NBC and The Athletic is reporting on some offers that the Devils declined in exchange for Hall and… well they’re fascinating. 

I mean, check these out:

Colorado Avalanche

No question that Avs GM Joe Sakic had a few phone calls with Shero. But once the Avs realized they probably had no way of trying to sign Hall to an extension after the season, I think it made less and less sense for Colorado to overpay for a rental, albeit a talented one. My sense is that Colorado was not ready to match the kind of package that included a first-round pick and prospect, plus a conditional pick, that the Devils wanted. Probably a smart move for the Avs to not push it. They’re already the highest-scoring team in the league and they’ve yet to be healthy this season. Hall would have been a fun luxury item for the Avs, but not a must at this point.

Calgary Flames

I think Calgary went a little harder than people realize. And I’m not so sure the Flames don’t think that what they were willing to pay package-wise wasn’t just as good as what Arizona did. That’s probably a little frustrating for Calgary, seeing as Hall went to a division rival. Not to mention the fact that Hall spent part of his youth in Calgary, which might have given the Flames a leg up on signing him.

Edmonton Oilers

There were several conversations between Shero and Oilers GM Ken Holland throughout the process, including two to three chats over the weekend. But in the end, the prospect I believe New Jersey would have targetted, Philip Broberg, was off the table from the Oilers’ point of view, which was a smart decision. Evan Bouchard was also off the table. And I don’t think Holland would have spent the first-round pick, either. It’s just not time for Edmonton to pay that kind of price. There’s not enough depth in this organization to do that. However, it was smart of Holland to stay in the conversation. If the market started to shrink and the price dropped, New Jersey knew what Edmonton was willing to pay. It just didn’t drop that far.

St. Louis Blues

I think Blues GM Doug Armstrong checked in on the Hall situation more than we were led to believe. But that’s pure Armstrong, he’s Mr. Stealth Mode. While I do believe that Armstrong had a certain price in mind if he were to take the plunge, the timing might have been a bit too rushed for the Blues. I think if the Hall talks had prolonged into January and the price dipped a bit, the Blues might have made a stronger push.

Florida Panthers

GM Dale Tallon definitely made inquires but at the end of the day, the price on a rental for a Panthers team that isn’t sure to make the playoffs scared Florida off. I think if Tallon ever felt there was a decent chance to eventually sign Hall to an extension he could live with, the Panthers GM would have dug in more aggressively.

San Jose Sharks

You know GM Doug Wilson can’t ever pass up a chance to at least inquire when a big dog is on the table. He’s acquired some big-name players over the years, that’s for sure. But he was limited in this case, first because his team isn’t in a playoff spot, and secondly because the Sharks don’t have a first-round pick this year. My sense here is that Wilson asked Shero whether something could be built around the Sharks’ first-round pick in 2021. Either way, I don’t think San Jose pursued too far.

Montreal Canadiens

Habs GM Marc Bergevin checked in, sources confirmed. But there wasn’t any way that Cole Caufield or Alexander Romanov would be included in any package. The Canadiens did their due diligence on what it would take but I don’t believe things got very far. Sort of like Edmonton, the Habs weren’t going to dive in unless there was a more moderate way to rent Hall.

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For LeBrun’s full account of yesterday’s negotiations for Hall, click below: