Toronto Maple Leafs Should Trade For Hart Winner Taylor Hall

The Toronto Maple Leafs could use another left-winger to play in the top-six and Taylor Hall could fit that role.

If you’re a Buffalo Sabres fan, I feel terrible for you. Although you could say the same thing about being a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, at least there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Jack Eichel was supposed to be that light in Buffalo, but it’s starting to feel like winter in Alaska at this point.

Hall signed a one-year contract worth $8M to join the Sabres and so far it hasn’t worked out amazing. He has a respectable nine points in 13 games but only has one goal. The former Hart Trophy winner isn’t known for scoring 30-plus goals every year, but this current seven-goal pace isn’t good enough.

The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs in 10 seasons and at this rate, it’s not going to happen this year. Fortunately the Buffalo Bills made it to an AFC Championship game or the city of Buffalo may be on fire right now. However, with Hall set to be a UFA this off-season, does it make sense for the Sabres to move on from him already?

Hall Would Be Perfect Addition in Toronto

Currently on his fourth team in 11 seasons, Hall’s had okay numbers over the past few years, but $8M per season is way too much for him. If you thought $6.9M for William Nylander was bad, then you’d probably puke knowing what Hall makes.

Obviously that’s a ton of money and based on the Leafs current cap-situation, how in the world would they be able to acquire a player at that price? Well, in order for it to work, the Sabres would more than likely have to eat 50 percent of the contract to get it down to $4M. From there, the Leafs could entice the Sabres with a first-round draft pick, a current roster player and maybe a prospect or two.

As the season progresses, although the player makes $8M per season, that’s not technically their contract worth when they’re traded mid-season.

Hall technically makes $69,565.22 per day, so if he were traded on April 12, which is the NHL Trade Deadline, he’d have already made $6.191M of his contract. Therefore he’d only be owed $1.81M in salary for the remainder of the season. If the Sabres are able to eat half of his salary, then the Leafs would only be on the hook for $905K.

At that number, they’d have a much easier time at moving things around to make the money work.

The Leafs left-side is their biggest question mark and although it’s worked thus far, the legs could slow down for Joe Thornton as the season progresses. By adding Hall, it would legitimize the top-six more and make their offense even deadlier.

I know there’s a report that the Sabres and Hall have “mutual interest in exploring a contract extension” but it doesn’t mean Hall can’t get traded at the Deadline and return. Buffalo could get a few assets in return for him then sign him to a monster-deal in the summer. It could be a win-win for everyone.

Hall can score, has incredible play-making skills and is an exceptional skater. Paired on a line with either Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner or John Tavares and William Nylander could make that trio the best in the NHL. As a player who hasn’t had the opportunity to play with high-end talent like this during his career, you’d have to think he would excel in the Leafs system.

Although it could be tough to acquire him, a player like this could take you from a Stanley Cup contender to the favorite. You only get so many windows of opportunity to win the NHL, so I say take a chance and try to acquire the 29-year-old.