Craig Custance: It is sounding like there was contract talks between the Arizona Coyotes and Taylor Hall.
New CEO Xavier Gutierrez could be handling the negotiations and not GM John Chayka.
Elliotte Friedman: There may have been a dinner meeting with Gutierrez, owner Alex Meruelo, his son Alex Jr. and Hall last week. GM John Chayka wasn’t at the dinner. The team wouldn’t comment.
Craig Morgan: Hall’s agent Darren Ferris: “The plan from the onset (and still is) to wait until the end of the season to discuss any future contract.”
Elliotte Friedman: Ferris wouldn’t comment on the meeting and if there were any contract offers.
Craig Morgan: Can confirm that there have been some negotiations between the Coyotes and Hall.
“It is unusual that Gutierrez has taken the reins of the negotiations & the timing is surprising with the Coyotes-Predators play-in round series less than two weeks away. Both camps had previously said they wanted Hall to focus on hockey while the season was active.”
Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider: A good playoff run by the Arizona Coyotes could help convince pending free agent Taylor Hall stick around as opposed to going to free agency. There are many teams that won’t have the financial flexibility now with the flattening of the salary cap for the next couple of years.
The Coyotes have said they’d like to have Hall back, and Hall’s agent Darren Ferris has said they open to the idea of re-signing. Hall knows the pandemic has changed things but he isn’t losing sleep over it. Hall said is focusing on the games that lie ahead, and he’ll worry about the contract stuff after they are done playing.
“That’s all I can really do,” Hall said. “I doubt there will be contract talks this close to the games anyways. Just go play.
“It’s obviously a different situation than normal and everyone knows we were on the outside of the playoffs looking in when the season paused, but it’s an opportunity nonetheless and we know that anything can really happen. For myself, just to play games of this magnitude is what I wanted coming into this season.”