Arizona Coyotes still hope they can convince All-Star winger Taylor Hall to stay with the organization past this year. According to Coyotes’ head coach Rick Tocchet, the team is confident they’ll be among Hall’s top options when he hits the free agency in the summer.
Coyotes acquired Hall from New Jersey Devils back in December, with the 28-year-old winger contributing with 27 points in 35 games before the NHL suspended its 2019/20 season due to coronavirus. Still, Tocchet believes even this short time will be enough for Hall to want to stay in Arizona.
“I’m not saying he is going to sign here, but I definitely think we’re a team he’s very interested in staying with,” said Tocchet during his appearance on ESPN On Ice.
Tocchet also thinks that Hall won’t be motivated entirely by money when making his decision.
“I look at Taylor, and I don’t think it’s always about the money,” he added. “It’s about being comfortable in the situation. He wants to win. He hasn’t had [team success]. So he wants to be on a team that could win for the next five or six years.”
Taylor Hall has been considered one of NHL’s best players in recent years, tallying four consecutive All-Star appearances since 2016 and winning Hart Memorial Trophy for league’s MVP in 2018. Despite this, he has made just one playoff appearance in his career, and that included a quick first-round exit.
Considering that Hall will be the most coveted free agent in the summer, it won’t be hard for him to get the big payoff and land with the team that has Stanley Cup ambitions. Coyotes’ case here gets slim, as they haven’t made the postseason since 2012. They do have an exciting young core, but it remains to be seen whether that ends up being enough for Hall to stay in Arizona.
