It has been a very good 24 hours for the Carolina Hurricanes. On Tuesday night, the team defeated the New Jersey Devils in Game 5 to punch their ticket to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. On Wednesday morning, the team announced they'd extended Taylor Hall with a three-year deal worth $9.5 million (~3.17m AAV).
The 2010 top pick has bounced around throughout his career. He's made stops in Edmonton, New Jersey, where he won the Hart Trophy in 2018, Arizona, Buffalo, Boston, and Chicago before being acquired by the Hurricanes in late January as part of the three-team deal with Colorado and Chicago involving Mikko Rantanen and Martin Necas.
An unsung part of the initial deal, his time in Raleigh started slowly, scoring just two points in his first 12 games. From March 6th onward, Hall closed the season with 16 points in 19 games, including a third-period hat trick in a win in Anaheim. He carried his solid play into the postseason, recording a pair of assists in Game 1 and adding a big goal in Game 5.
A pending unrestricted free agent, Hall, 33, is now off the market, sticking around Raleigh for a few more years. Hall can be deployed just about anywhere in the lineup. I'd expect him to be a contributor on the second line, while getting plenty of chances on the power play. He's a veteran with plenty of experience that could be valuable for the guys who might make the jump to the NHL next season.
With this move, the Hurricanes have 11 forwards on the active roster under contract for next season. This doesn't include prospects, like Bradly Nadeau, who are expected to make pushes to join the team. It also doesn't include any moves the team could make in the offseason. With 12 forward spots available in the lineup and plenty of cap space to work with, I'd imagine Eric Tulsky has plenty brewing.
This is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Carolina Hurricanes. It gives Taylor Hall a chance to plant some roots and stick around, while the team gets a veteran with Hart Trophy pedigree and plenty left in the tank. A deal had, reportedly, been in the works for a while now, so for it to finally come to fruition is great to see. It only adds to a great stretch for Hall and the organization.