2021-04-12

Tall for Hall (cancelled)

Hey do you remember "Fall for Hall"? I was there for the exact game in January 2010 when it began. As expected, the Oilers fell to be the worst team in the league, Taylor Hall did get drafted by the team, and remained a loyal player (and patron of hot Edmonton blondes) until his infamous one-for-one trade with Jersey.


Well over the past few days as the NHL trade deadline (ie. the other day sports networks try to pretend something interesting is happening) day approached, there was some talk that Taylor Hall might (Mike Comrie or Ryan Smyth style) be coming back to his old team with bygones being bygones (Comrie), or to the organization he has always loved (Smyth).

This would have been because the Oilers are (excepting games against the Leafs and the Flames debacle last night) flying high and definitely in anybody's bag of potential playoff contenders. The idea of picking up Hall while giving up a young prospect or player or pick had a certain about of appeal, a playoff push that showed that the Oilers were in the running for the Stanley Cup as opposed to a high draft pick. In other words, it would have been the opposite of "Fall for Hall". Martok had proposed "Rise for Hall" which never caught on, but apparently somebody in his beer league hockey team (currently now stuck only doing fantasy hockey) modified it for "Tall for Hall" which is kind of catchy.

This morning of course that came tumbling down: Taylor Hall has left his previous team of...*checks notes*...the Buffalo Sabres and has been traded to the Boston Bruins who only have to pay half his $8M annual contract (and then only the tail end of the season aspect of it). Hall also gets to remain in the East Division and doesn't have to quarantine before starting with his new organization.Of course, it's only a 1-yr deal which means this summer Taylor Hall is looking for a new team again.

As in we'll see him in a Canucks uniform by September.