In today’s NHL rumor rundown, TSN’s Darren Dreger talks about the type of situation that would work best for Taylor Hall. Also, are there specific names out there that might help the Edmonton Oilers? Finally, is all of the news regarding coach abuse and other allegations leading to a situation where the NHL needs to be cautious of future legal action?
Would Taylor Hall Fit With Canadiens?
Darren Dreger of TSN writes that things are all quiet on the trade front when it comes to Taylor Hall of the New Jersey Devils but that a team to watch and who may consider Hall a good fit for is the Montreal Canadiens.
“I don’t understand why they wouldn’t have interest and I’m not so sure, that given the opportunity, Taylor Hall wouldn’t sign in with the Montreal Canadiens,” said Dreger. He adds that he doesn’t think Hall is at all concerned about some of the scrutiny and the pressure that comes with playing in a market like Montreal, citing that he did so in Edmonton.
Dreger compared Hall to a player like John Tavares who not only signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but chose them and loves it there. He believes Hall would like to play in a place where he feeds off the passion of the fans and the city.
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Possible Options for the Oilers
While Ken Holland has said that he’s not likely to make a trade right away, it hasn’t stopped some from speculating as to what names might be out there that the Oilers could pursue.
Sonny Sachdeva of Sportsnet names eight players he believes would help the Oilers this season. Of the most interesting, he names New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider, Ottawa Senators center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Calgary Flames winger Michael Frolik.
Part of the reason the Oilers will wait is because of the cost associated to acquiring some of these players. Kreider and Pageau won’t be cheap.
In other Oilers news, the elbow that cost defenseman Adam Larsson five minutes and a game misconduct will not be reviewed by the NHL. At first, there was some speculation he might have a hearing and potentially be suspended for his hit on T.J. Tynan, but that is not the case. Larsson shared with Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal the Department of Player Safety has not reached out or announced any supplementary discipline.
Related: NHL Rumors: Peters, Francis, Canadiens, Bruins, More
NHL Treading Carefully With Player Allegations
Elliotte Friedman said in an interview that part of the reason for the delay in removing (officially he resigned) Bill Peters as Calgary Flames coach and any delays in comments by the Flames organization is because there’s a real concern by teams and the league that everything needs to be carefully measured when commenting on these situations.
Everyone is wondering if legal action will follow some of these allegations and it’s important for teams and the NHL not to do or say anything that would put them in poor legal standing should lawsuits come out of some of these situations. And, with more and more names being brought into the public forum, this is a real issue.
Friedman noted that the NHL would like players to use the resources available to them with their teams but the league needs to understand that players might fear that as information is revealed, should they use those resources, they will lose “their voice”. In other words, the message will not be their own. The NHL has to expect more and more of this to come out on social media versus the channels the NHL provides.
Related: THW’s Top-12 NHL Trade Rumors Tracker – Updated
