Blackhawks get former NHL MVP Taylor Hall in trade with Bruins
SUNRISE, FL - APRIL 21: Boston Bruins left wing Taylor Hall (71) celebrates after his goal in the first period during game three of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs between the Boston Bruins and the Florida Panthers on Friday, April
CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired former NHL MVP Taylor Hall from the Boston Bruins.
The Blackhawks gave away defensemen Alex Regula and Ian Mitchell in exchange for Hall and Nick Foligno, the team announced in a statement Monday afternoon.
"We are thrilled to be adding players of Nick’s and Taylor’s caliber to our organization," said Kyle Davidson, Blackhawks general manager. "The two bring a wealth of experience and leadership that will strengthen not only our forward group, but aid in the development of our entire roster."
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The 31-year-old Hall had 16 goals and 20 assists in 61 regular season games last season. He added five goals and three assists in seven postseason games.
The trade comes as the Blackhawks are expected to draft 17-year-old Connor Bedard, who is the presumptive No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft this year, which kicks off on Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee.
Hall was selected by Edmonton with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft. He has 264 goals and 429 assists in 13 seasons with Edmonton, New Jersey, Boston, Arizona and Buffalo.
Hall was with the Oilers when they took Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), Nail Yakupov (2012) and Connor McDavid (2015) with the No. 1 pick. He was playing for the Devils when they took Nico Hischier (2017) and Jack Hughes (2019) at No. 1.
Chicago is expected to take Bedard with this year’s No. 1 pick. He could be joined on the team’s top line by Hall, giving him some valuable experience to lean on.
Hall counts $6 million against the salary cap over the next two seasons. But rebuilding Chicago is more concerned with the floor than the ceiling when it comes to the cap at the moment. The Blackhawks were not on Hall’s no-trade list, so the Bruins could make the trade without his consent.
Foligno, 35, had 10 goals and 16 assists in 60 games last season. Given its financial situation, Chicago could try to convince him to skip free agency with a short-term contract for above market value.
The Blackhawks are well-stocked when it comes to defense prospects, and Mitchell and Regula were never quite able to find regular time in the NHL lineup.
Associated Press contributed to this report.