The Edmonton Oilers are a fascinating group to follow. Perhaps the most mismanaged franchise the sport has seen in recent memory is reportedly preparing to shop around Taylor Hall. This comes from a new report from Darren Dreger who believes the Oilers are ready to deal the talented young forward.
https://twitter.com/Hope_Smoke/status/544614563170504704
The full transcript of Dreger’s comments can be seen over on Puck Daddy. Below are some of the most interesting statements.
Taylor Hall, at least from a culture standpoint, in the room not on the ice, hasn’t been what they hoped he would be. So when [GM Craig] MacTavish looks into his crystal ball and sees what’s coming his way through trades, he’s gotta be looking at the trade deadline and then beyond that looking at the draft floor.
Dreger later goes on to comment that he has heard that Hall is “un-coachable” and the organization is cautiously analyzing to determine if moving Hall is the best idea for the organization. Moving a player such as Hall is an enormous risk. The Bruins have seen what happens when a young player is cast off due to perceived issues. The Oilers aren’t in the same position as the Bruins, nor have they been in ages, but it’s clear the club is trying to figure out what it’s going to take to right the ship.
Should the Oilers move Hall? That depends on the return. The Oilers could command an enormous price for Hall, but we’ve seen how the organization has struggled to evaluate the talent. The absolute worst thing which could happen would be a Hall trade and for the organization to end up with several broken parts after a handful of years.
Hall is going to be a star. His situation is starting to resemble Tyler Seguin and all signs are pointing to him thriving in the NHL. The question is, will it be with the Oilers?
