Taylor Hall would like an extension of his contract with the Boston Bruins, even if the star wing does not want to be the “focal point” of his new team.
The Bruins switched on Sunday for the 29-year-old left winger, sending a selection to the second round of 2021 and advancing Anders Bjork to Buffalo Sabers for Hall and Curtis Lazar center. Hall becomes an unlimited free agent after this season.
“I’d love to be a Bruin for a few years,” Hall said. “Obviously, it’s been a bad year for me personally and I have to play well. I have to contribute. Above all, I want to be part of a team that wins games. I really think we can do that here.”
Hall was the NHL MVP in the 2017-18 season, but struggled to reach those heights again. After failing to secure the long-term contract he sought as a free agent out of last season – the Bruins were among his suitors – Hall signed a $ 8 million one-year deal with the Sabers. The team fought hard, as did Hall: Although it has 17 assists, it has only two goals in 37 matches this season.
“I’m not the most confident hockey player. Over the course of this year, there have been a lot of fights and obviously the goal was one of them. I have to find that part of the game,” he said.
Sabers have informed Hall that it will be changed weeks before Monday. His contract contains a full motion clause. Although Hall would not indicate whether he would have rejected other commercial destinations, he acknowledged that trade protection helped focus Saber’s efforts on a deal with Boston, a place he always wanted to play.
“Certainly, the motionless movement really helped me become a Bruin. Since I knew I would be traded in the last few weeks, it was a team I really wanted to join,” he said.
One of the reasons he wanted to get to Boston was that he wasn’t “Taylor Hall’s team.” The veteran winger said he wants to play on a team that had other stars to attract attention, allowing him to focus on helping him win.
“I’ve been the focus of many teams in my career,” he said. “I never made myself the central point in the situations I was in. The first chance I got in the free agency was at Buffalo, a team that had a guy in Jack Eichel, a player who I think is better than me. I just wanted to be one of the boys. I wanted to be on a successful team.
“In the end, it didn’t work out in Buffalo. But going to Boston, there are so many great players on that team. Hall of Famers. Seeing these guys, I’m thrilled to be part of that group and just be one of the boys. “I don’t expect to enter and light the league. I want to win games.”