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New Jersey Devils: On The Acquisition Of Taylor Hall |
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Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
On Wednesday the New Jersey Devils added some much needed scoring prowess to their lineup as they acquired Taylor Hall from the Edmonton Oilers.
Going the other way was defenseman Adam Larsson.
While this does create a big hole on the blue line - Larsson averaged well over 22 minutes per game last season - I think this was definitely a worthwhile move by GM Ray Shero.
Not only is Hall the best player in the trade but he will significantly help address the Devils' biggest weakness: 5 v 5 scoring.
Last season the Devils ranked 30th in 5 v 5 goals with 108. They also ranked last 30th in 5 v 5 goals for per 60 minutes averaging just 1.67.
It just so happens that Hall is one of the NHL's best 5 v 5 point producers.
Over the last four seasons Hall ranks 4th in the NHL in 5 v 5 points with 160. Only Sidney Crosby (188), Jamie Benn (169) and Patrick Kane (161) rank ahead of him in that regard.
Hall not only piles up the points but is very efficient in doing so. Over the same span Hall averaged 2.49 points per 60 minutes of 5 v 5 ice, which is good for 3rd in the NHL.
On top of Hall's ability to produce offense he has also posted solid underlying numbers.
Over the last two years the Oilers have controlled 51.2% of the shot attempts and 51.7% of the goals with Hall on the ice at full-strength. Without Hall those numbers dip to 48.6% and 39.8%.
In other words the Oilers were a good team with Hall on the ice and an absolute disaster without him.
By all accounts Hall is an elite player and at 24 that is unlikely to change anytime soon. The Devils were smart to grab him while they had the chance.
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