Oilers Should Consider Reuniting With Taylor Hall at 2025 Trade Deadline – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are in a strong position as they head into the 2024-25 season. They are coming off a strong season where they were one win away from winning the Stanley Cup after a dramatic comeback, and are poised to win their sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history after a strong season. As a contending team, the Oilers will be determined to build the best team possible, and by the time the 2025 Trade Deadline rolls around, they should have a good idea of ​​what they need to improve if they want to become buyers. One player whose name comes up consistently at the trade deadline is forward Taylor Hall, who was drafted by the Oilers and spent a few seasons with them earlier in his career.

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Hall did not play much in the 2023-24 season, as he suffered a major injury that limited him to 10 games. However, he looked solid with the Chicago Blackhawks alongside Connor Bedard in their short time together. The difference between the Oilers and Blackhawks is their goals for the upcoming season. While the Oilers will be contenders and looking to make a championship push, the Blackhawks will continue to rebuild, hoping their free agency will give Bedard offensive power and keep them dead last in the NHL.

Hall's name has come up many times in trade discussions over the years. When he joined the Buffalo Sabers and they started to struggle, he was expected to deal and was eventually traded to the Boston Bruins. Although he eventually re-signed with the Bruins on a four-year contract, he was traded to the Blackhawks as the Bruins needed to fill a void, and was caught on the outside looking in. If the Oilers find out they want to tighten their belts. A top-six team heading into the postseason, a reunion with Hall may be in the realm of possibility.

Hall May Be Open to Reunion, Even in a Reduced Role

The last time the Oilers had Hall, he was considered one of the frontrunners expected to provide offensive production alongside Connor McDavid. While he remains solid offensively and plays a solid defensive game, he will have to play a smaller role now that the Oilers are a much deeper team with a stronger top six than when he was on the offensive end. While some fans recalled reports that Hall had cancer in the locker room, those reports were not proven true, and his stay with the Blackhawks proved that his leadership skills were strong alongside Bedard.

Hall is getting older now, 32 years old. He is a former MVP winner who had a strong season with the New Jersey Devils and led them back to the playoffs in his second season with them. However, he may be looking to make a championship push before entering the older seasons of his career.

The Oilers will bring Hall in as a third-rounder if they decide to bring him in at all. It's not hard to see that the Oilers could use more depth that has proven successful in the past, and with Hall's history in Edmonton, the fit makes sense. While a Hall trade to the Oilers isn't something anyone should consider betting on, it could happen if Evander Kane can't bounce back and Derek Ryan continues to decline quickly. If Hall is open to reuniting in a depth role, the Oilers should try to make something happen at the trade deadline.