Taylor Hall is a Boston Bruin. At around 2 am on April 12, 2021, the Boston Bruins acquired the Left Winger from the Buffalo Sabres for a second-rounder and prospect Anders Bjork. Center Curtis Lazar is also arriving in Boston. What might this mean? Did Buffalo get fleeced? Are the Bruins a top Stanley Cup championship contender?
In Boston, I would expect Hall to suit up on the second line with Center David Krejci and Winger Jake DeBrusk. I would also expect Hall to produce at about a point-per-game pace as a former Hart Trophy winner, and I believe his struggles in Buffalo had more to do with the team than the player. With Hall in the fold, I have no doubt the Bruins are top cup contenders. In 2019, they were one game away. Since then, Hall, Winger Craig Smith, Winger Ondrej Kase, and Defenseman Mike Rielly have come while Defensemen Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara, and Winger Marcus Johansson left. I believe Boston is ready for a pivotal playoff run that could be their last hurrah.
As for Buffalo, I am puzzled. As a former Hart Trophy recipient, I would expect them to at least fetch a first-rounder. I understand Hall has struggled, but once again, I believe it had more to do with the Sabres than Hall. A second-round pick is underwhelming, and Anders Bjork is essentially another Curtis Lazar. Once more, I believe Boston fleeced the Sabres, and they should look forward to the summer when they acquire a top pick.
To summarize, I believe the Bruins got an outstanding deal while the Sabres should go home and take a top prospect with their pick. Boston added a former 90-point scorer to an already lethal team who made it to game seven of the Stanley Cup Final two springs ago. Buffalo, a team with little to no optimism, only added a second-rounder for a player who was supposed to help them qualify for their first postseason appearance since 2011. Overall, I think the Bruins can walk away from the deadline feeling like superman. I guess we can’t fully assess this trade until we know what the second-round pick turns into and what Taylor Hall does for the Bruins, but right now, it looks like a Bostonian win; we will see if it holds.
