Taylor Hall addresses the media for the first time since being traded to Boston and discusses wanting to be part of a winning team and the rebound he needs to make as a player.
Taylor Hall is getting another shot at redemption with a team he's had his eye on since last summer.
The veteran left winger officially joined the Bruins on Monday via trade from the Buffalo Sabres. Boston is Hall's fourth team in two seasons, as the former Hart Trophy winner and 2010 No. 1 overall pick has struggled during that stretch.
But a change in scenery could do Hall some good -- especially since he wanted to sign with the Bruins last offseason before inking a one-year, $8 million contract in Buffalo.
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Bruins addressed three key areas with Hall, Reilly trades
"I was ready to come to Boston and it didn’t work out,” Hall told reporters Monday in a video conference, adding that he was "really close" to signing with the Bruins.
" ... It was not like any hard feelings or anything like that. Once I knew there was a possibility I’d be traded (from Buffalo), Boston was No. 1 on the list."
The Bruins didn't have to give up much for Hall -- Anders Bjork and a 2022 second-round draft pick for Hall and Curtis Lazar -- and for good reason. The 29-year-old has just two goals in 37 games this season and hasn't surpassed 20 goals in a season since his 2017-18 Hart Trophy campaign.
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If Hall can turn his fortunes around in Boston, though, he's on board with returning to the Bruins in unrestricted free agency next summer.
"I’d love to be a Bruin for a few years," Hall said. "It’s obviously been a bad year for me personally. I need to play well. I need to contribute and most of all, I want to be part of a team that wins games. I really believe we can do that here. That’s really just my main goal."
Hall has appeared in just 14 postseason games and won one playoff series over his 11-year career while playing on some pretty bad teams. So, it makes sense why he's excited about joining a perennial playoff contender in Boston.
Hall has 17 games (and the postseason) to prove he can make an impact on a quality team. If he succeeds, then the Bruins should consider keeping him around at the right price. If not, the Calgary native might be moving on to his fifth team in three seasons.
