Taylor Hall was expecting there to be change in Boston this offseason due to salary cap reasons and the disappointment of a first-round exit after a historic regular season. Still, it didn’t make the trade to the Chicago Blackhawks any less surprising.
“I was caught off guard a bit,” Hall said in his virtual introductory press conference on Saturday.
After the shock wore off and he digested the news, Hall started to warm up to the idea of Chicago. His role had decreased with the Bruins, to the point where he was playing more-so on the third line. That’s not really his game.
With the Blackhawks, he’s going to have an opportunity to play on the first line and top power-play unit, which is what he’s used to. And the former 2018 Hart Trophy winner is motivated to prove he’s still capable of handling those minutes and responsibilities at 31 years old.
“My two and a half years in Boston, I learned so much from those guys and from the organization,” Hall said. “I have nothing but good memories there. In saying that, I’m excited to play a bigger role. I’m excited to show that I’ve grown and show that even at my age I can still be a top-line guy and that’s really exciting for me.”
You know what else helped? The thought of playing with Connor Bedard, who was the No. 1 overall pick and as close to a sure-fire lock to make the NHL roster next season as there is for the Blackhawks. That rejuvenated him.
“You can tell just watching him deal with the media and talk, he’s pretty well mannered,” Hall said. “He knows what to expect, he has high expectations from himself. For guys like [Nick Foligno] and I, it’s about letting him play and bringing the best out of him and trying to eliminate distractions and give him advice and mentor him along as best as possible. But it’s exciting.
“For me, you never know what the offseason’s going to bring and there’s always a chance for trade. There’s a lot worse spots that you can go. A city like Chicago, a player like Bedard coming in and an organization like they have. It’s pretty exciting for all of us.”
Bedard is looking forward to playing with Hall just as much. Hall is someone Bedard can turn to for advice as someone who understands how to handle the pressure and attention that comes with being the No. 1 overall pick in a big market.
“He was in my shoes one day with me trying to make the NHL of course,” Bedard said. “Just getting to watch him and ask him questions and feed off some of that stuff would be really good for me.”
The more Hall has thought about playing for the Blackhawks, the more he’s getting excited about it. I don’t think he’s being disingenuous when he says that.
Sure, going from a Stanley Cup contender like Boston to the rebuilding Blackhawks isn’t what Hall probably had in mind. But it might make coming to the rink a little more fun knowing he’s going to have a significant role and log the kind of minutes he prefers to be playing.
“I just know I’ve always loved the city of Chicago,” Hall said. “Since I’ve been in the league, they’ve won two Stanley Cups; the year before I came into the league they had just won the Stanley Cup. They’ve had a ton of success, they’ve had some amazing players go through the organization. I’ve always been an admirer of what Chicago has been as a city and the Blackhawks organization.
“I wasn’t expecting to get traded, but when you hear Chicago and everything they’ve accomplished, getting Connor and bringing Nick in and talking about getting Corey Perry, it softens the blow and gets you ready for what’s to come. That’s the stage I’m at now.”
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