[Signing] Buffalo signs Taylor Hall (1 yr, $8 mil, NMC, NTC)

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Maybe, just maybe, Taylor Hall doesn’t want the pressure that comes with being on a top team.

[bluejays]

I was thinking why Buffalo besides the obvious role Hall will have playing with Eichel, and something else came to my mind - showcasing and taxes. Buffalo, Edmonton and Detroit may be among the armpits of North America, but there's no better place to showcase yourself in a showcase year, than in the surrounding New York area. So this says to me that he wanted a showcase role with a team to cash in next year (obvious), but Buffalo because if he's exposing himself for next year, and deep down he thinks he wants to move to a team in that region, get every team to watch him night after night, then when it's time to cash in he can do it.


As for who he could be wanting to target (as it's shown now to be about the money), a quick google search shows Nashville has a relatively good tax rate, so that would be my bet come next year.

[Johnny Makarov]

I sure hope Hall didn't watch the Dallas Cowboys game today...

[Toonage]

Wait. He's a Cowboys fan too? Man, Hall just cannot make a good decision to save his life.

Also, yeah, Dak.

[Yoho]

You think Stevie Y or Joe Sakic would ever do this?
Talk a mean game about “it’s time to win” and then sign a one year contract with the arm pit of the NHL?

You seriously turned down the Avs dynamite team and bonafide chance at a Cup over 1.5mil?

Hall is a punch line, and the only thing he will help Buffalo secure is a first overall pick.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Or maybe he’s a human and wants to enjoy what he does for work so he chose a team with a coach he likes that’s close to his family. That matters to people who have feelings and a life and stuff.

This is the epitome of fan toxicity and treating players as nothing more than robots with zero ####s given about the fact they need to be able to enjoy their lives outside of the rink. Even if some people here clearly don’t.

[TheScorpion]

I'm not convinced the Sabres will be terrible next year.

Eichel
Hall
Olofsson
Reinhart
Staal
Skinner
Cozens

That's a really nice core of forwards. Mittelstadt, Eakin, Girgensons, Okposo, Rieder, Lazar, Thompson... they're not short on bottom-six options either. Potentially Jack Quinn maybe, too.

Dahlin has some carrying to do on defense but there is also plenty of upside there with Montour, Miller, Jokiharju, and even Ristolainen.

The goalies are a question mark for sure but Ullmark isn't bad. He's Rittich-level. I can see Buffalo making the playoffs for sure.

[Hackey]

The offers must have been pretty lackluster, and he's banking on next year being a lot better.

I suppose playing on a line with Eichel will help him have a big season. If he wanted to win Colorado would have been the place to go but maybe second line minutes isn't what he wanted. I understand players want to win but at the end of the day I guess your financial future probably is more important.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I'm more shocked and relived he turned down 6.5 in Colorado

Hall has played 14 playoff games in 10 seasons (and even some of those are play in round)

for 1.5M he decided not to go to a team like that?

A solid playoff run would certainly boost his stock for next season if that is the angle he is working

His agent might have discouraged a discount contract as well. Top players who take what’s perceived to be too little are frowned upon by other players and agents because of how it affects the market.

[nik-]

I honestly find it funny that some people are surprised by this.

edit: not that it's Buffalo, but that Hall was always just about the dollars.

[djsFlames]

This is a waste.

He could've pushed a team over the top. Instead he helps a basement team move closer to the bubble.

[camm13]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Or maybe he’s a human and wants to enjoy what he does for work so he chose a team with a coach he likes that’s close to his family. That matters to people who have feelings and a life and stuff.

This is the epitome of fan toxicity and treating players as nothing more than robots with zero ####s given about the fact they need to be able to enjoy their lives outside of the rink. Even if some people here clearly don’t.

Definitely enjoys what he does so much for work, that he only wants to work for 6 months of the year.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Or maybe he’s a human and wants to enjoy what he does for work so he chose a team with a coach he likes that’s close to his family. That matters to people who have feelings and a life and stuff.

This is the epitome of fan toxicity and treating players as nothing more than robots with zero ####s given about the fact they need to be able to enjoy their lives outside of the rink. Even if some people here clearly don’t.

He signed a one year deal so it’s not like he’s making some big commitment to these things that you believe are driving his decision. I’d say it’s also possible he didn’t like the money anyone else was offering so he took the biggest short term offer on the table and will try again in a year. That doesn’t bother me any, and if I had to guess, that is what’s happened here.

[GioforPM]

He can also (a) have the money and (b) be traded to a cup contender at the deadline.

[Corral]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Or maybe he’s a human and wants to enjoy what he does for work so he chose a team with a coach he likes that’s close to his family. That matters to people who have feelings and a life and stuff.

This is the epitome of fan toxicity and treating players as nothing more than robots with zero ####s given about the fact they need to be able to enjoy their lives outside of the rink. Even if some people here clearly don’t.

Agreed. This is also why it was hard to stomach the endless discussion here about how we were going to find 8 or 9million annually and bring hall to Calgary. I’m glad he’s not on our roster but I’m also thinking he had no interest in being in Calgary anyways for lots of reasons including what you’ve mentioned.

As for Buffalo.... who knows. Maybe he was inspired by the ESPN 30 in 30 story on the 1990s Bills. Great documentary.

[powderjunkie]

1. He probably bought insurance against the long-term deals he had on the table

2. If it goes badly in BUF, he probably ends up on a contender. If it goes well in BUF, he looks the difference maker.

3. Next year's UFA crop might be even weaker than this year's...but it will be interesting to see how many deals are signed and waiting in desk drawers to be pulled out the day after expansion draft.

Highly unlikely that Ovechkin/Getzlaf hit UFA. Similar for Krejci/Landeskog/Gallagher...maybe RNH.

If Hamilton hits UFA, he would be similar to Pietrangelo...not sure anyone else is at Krug's level; the next tier is Larsson, R Murray, D Savard, and a few decent D-men in their early 30s.

Goaltending similar, if not a bit weaker than this year (depending on who hits UFA): Andersen/Rask/Binnington/Rinne/Allen/Grubauer/Mrazek


Much like this year, the rest of the forwards available are a tier below (and who knows how many hit UFA). In order of pts from the most recent season:
Tatar
Schwartz
Danault
E Staal
Palmieri
Pearson
Gusev
Iafallo (likely extended)
Stastyn
Hyman
Bonino
Saad
Coleman
Foligno
Armia
M Johansson
Bozak
Dzingel
Derek Ryan
Stepan
Laughton
etc.

TLDR: very good chance Hall is by far the prettiest girl at the UFA dance next year, or at worst he's competing with Hamilton and RNH in a far friendlier environment for UFAs.

[Mightyfire89]

What a houseplant

[Robo]

Buffalo? I didn't see that coming.... also why buffalo

[Frequitude]

Gets paid and gets to choose his contender at the deadline. Buffalo gets some picks. Cheque, check, check.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Gets paid and gets to choose his contender at the deadline. Buffalo gets some picks. Cheque, check, check.

So he assumes his team will be so bad they aren't even in playoff contention at the deadline? because if that's the case he probably didn't have a very good season