NHL Rumors: Devils, Lightning, Bruins, Blackhawks, Penguins, More

in today’s NHL rumor rundown, a few comments by Taylor Hall revealed the New Jersey Devils didn’t ever get as far as making him an offer to stay, Tampa Bay’s GM has virtually suggested there’s no way the Lightning’s coach is getting fired, and did Dylan Larkin’s comments upset some of the Detroit fan base regarding the All-Star Game? Finally, is Sidney Crosby closer to a return and are the Bruins and Blackhawks working on something?

Hall Never Asked to Stay in New Jersey

More often than not, when a player who’s about the become an unrestricted free agent is moved before his contract expires that summer, it’s because the team that traded him was unable to make an extension work. Not so in the case of Taylor Hall.

Hall said during a recent media availability that he had never received an offer of any kind from the Devils. Instead Hall believes the Devils knew they weren’t a playoff team, felt Hall was likely to decline an offer and trade offers from other teams started coming in. Once that happened, both the agent and the Devils figured, ‘Why bother?’

“Yeah there wasn’t any offers, it never got to that point,” admitted Hall as per TSN. He added:

“I think Ray [Shero] is a patient guy and he wanted to see how the year went and I was in the boat. Ray and I have a great relationship and I think him and my agent get along very well as well, I think we both wanted to see how the year went and they knew that what I wanted to do this year was to play in the playoffs, to have a chance to go as deep as I could. It seemed like that might not be possible in New Jersey so we started talking about options and I think he got a couple of good offers and he sat me out and I was on my way.”

For the Devils, moving Hall was not likely about giving him a chance to play in the postseason at the detriment to the organization and making a less-than-deal trade, but the Devils not making the playoffs was probably a clear indicator Hall wasn’t going to think of them as a long-term fit.

Larkin Says, “Don’t Vote For Me”

While a candidate to be voted in by the fans as a Last Men In voting poll, Dylan Larkin has asked the fans not to vote. He said, “Please don’t vote. I like the days off more.”

While some can understand players looking for rest and a chance to recoup instead of joining the All-Star game, there isn’t a lot in Detroit to be excited about these days. Fans getting a chance to vote in one of their players might be considered a highlight and now their team star doesn’t want them to.

Not all is lost. Tyler Bertuzzi was selected to go from the Red Wings roster so the team will have a rep there in some fashion.

Crosby Nearing a Return?

For a minute, there was some hope in Pittsburgh as Sidney Crosby took the ice with his teammates in a white jersey. The white jersey either signaled “no contact” or something else, but it led reporters to ask if he was closer to a return.

Crosby replied there was no timeline on his return and that no, he wasn’t closer. Only that the ice time with his teammates was the only ice time available to skate and that he would resume skating on his own the next day.

He did say things were improving, but he’s not there yet.

Blackhawks Looking Closely at Bruins

Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now noted that the Chicago Blackhawks have been scouting the Boston Bruins heavily over the past couple of weeks. The Blackhawks had at least one scout at the Bruins’ previous four home games. “Yeah Stan Bowman has been hot on the trail at a lot of their games,” one NHL pro scout acknowledged to Boston Hockey Now.

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