TSN: Darren Dreger on Taylor Hall and the price if Sabres are willing to retain half the salary. What is the value of that? Teams looking at the New Jersey Devils roster and if anyone could help.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“There are teams that are willing to be that parking sort of spot for a three-way scenario, right. Chicago comes to mind. There are ways of, I know manipulating the cap is the right way, but managing the money, you have to pay for it, and it’s not currency, it’s draft picks or prospects.
So we don’t know what the actual hockey price will be on Taylor Hall depending on the different scenarios that could be in play. But I have no doubt, well look, I do this for a living, I know that there are five or six teams that have inquired and have interest. I’d be shocked if the Islanders wasn’t one of them. I’d be shocked. And just because they’ve got the space there. They’ve got the need with Anders Lee being out.
And even though Taylor hasn’t played well for the Buffalo Sabres, Eric Staal wasn’t Eric Staal for the Buffalo Sabres. Berge ended up getting a pretty good deal there for a third and fifth and 50 percent of the money. But I think again the promise of what that player can be, even though it doesn’t always materialize and in fact, rarely does, doesn’t it after the trade deadline? Specific to rentals. But when you’ve got a good team, you’ve got a good season like the Islanders and you can get that piece, and there won’t be many forwards like Taylor Hall available. There won’t be.
You know Craig I know you talked about Miles Wood as an example of the New Jersey Devils, which is an interesting name for sure for a lot of different reasons. Just the way the man plays, there would be a terrific amount of interest in him. I get that all day long, but then I do my job, I run that by Tom Fitzgerald yesterday, and he’s like ‘I don’t know where that scuttlebutt is coming from.’ He’s like, ‘I guess I’d have to listen. You got to listen on everything.’
But isn’t that what this period is all about, between now and trade deadline? If you’re a general manager and you’re not looking at the New Jersey Devils roster and identifying players that can help you, and asking about those players, then you shouldn’t be doing your job.
So that happens every single day. There will be a fit though for Taylor Hall.”